NY Times: Three states give their governors unfettered discretion when it comes to restoring the voting rights of felons. Two are being sued under the First Amendment. At the heart of these cases is whether a governor’s discretion to restore voting rights must be cabined by rules to prevent the risk that the restoration power will be used “to silence citizens because of their opinions” or suspected partisan affiliations. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the First Amendment’s prohibition on viewpoint discrimination applies to granting permits for public protests but does not apply to a governor’s pardon powers in a suit involving Kentucky. Voting rights advocates are now suing Virginia.