Donald Trump Could Be Banned From Voting for Himself

Former President Donald Trump could be banned from voting for himself during the presidential election in November, legal experts told Newsweek.

Trump is set to head to trial on April 15, 2024 in the case into whether he broke the law by allegedly giving a hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in April 2023 announced a 34-count felony indictment against Trump for the alleged payment, which prosecutors say was intended to prevent Daniels from publicly discussing her claims that she had an affair with the former president. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied having an affair with Daniels. He has accused Bragg of targeting him for political purposes.

The trial is likely to conclude well before the 2024 presidential election in November, according to experts, meaning Trump may be sentenced before voting begins. While legal experts have cast doubt that he will face jailtime in this case, he still may face some consequences, including potentially losing the right to vote.

Legal experts weighed in on whether a conviction would result in Trump losing the right to vote ahead of November in comments to Newsweek.

"In Florida, for convictions of non-moral turpitude, you lose the right to vote, unless you serve your sentence and pay fines," former federal prosecutor Gene Rossi said.

Former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade said, "If Trump is convicted of a felony, he would lose his right to vote in Florida under Florida law."

However, Michael McAuliffe, a former federal prosecutor and former elected state attorney, said Florida law may have a caveat that could allow the former president to retain his right to vote so long as he is not sentenced to prison.

"If he is sentenced to probation as the sentence, then it appears under Florida law, he would still be able to vote as a felon because the felony would be from New York and New York law allows someone on probation to still vote," he said.

In a statement to Newsweek, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung dismissed concerns about how a conviction would affect the former president's right to vote.

"These 'legal experts' clearly received their law degrees from fictional institutions because they currently live in a fantasy land devoid of reality," he wrote, dismissing their analysis as "Trump Derangement Syndrome."

The presidential race is set to pit Trump against President Joe Biden, as both candidates have secured enough delegates to win their respective primaries, in a rematch of the 2020 presidential election. Polls show a tightening race, with Biden gaining ground in the key swing states that will decide who wins the election.

But election day remains more than seven months out, and the former president may face a tumultuous year due to his upcoming trials that are likely to coincide with election season. Polls have suggested that if Trump is ultimately convicted he could lose support from some voters who currently prefer him over Biden.

Update 03/27/2024 9:07 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.