Texas man who waited six hours to vote on Super Tuesday wasn't eligible

Hervis Rogers's parole from his felony charge isn't up until June

A Texas man who was praised on Super Tuesday for waiting over six hours to vote has discovered he's not eligible.

Hervis Rogers waited in line at the Texas Southern University polling place in Houston, Texas, for over six hours so he could cast his ballot, and he was the final one in line that day.

"I wanted to get my vote in to voice my opinion," Mr Rogers told KTRK-TV. "I wasn't going to let anything stop me, so I waited it out."

People online complimented him for committing to voting despite the long lines.

His story even caught the attention of prominent politicians like Hillary Clinton. The former secretary of state thought it was inexcusable for a citizen to have to wait that long to cast their vote.

"A seven-hour wait to vote is a poll tax," she wrote. "We need to restore the Voting Rights Act and stop Republican elected officials from shutting down polling sites."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also commented on the situation, writing: "This is unacceptable – and a result of continued GOP attacks on the voting rights of American citizens. The House has passed H.R. 4 which would restore critical protections to end #VoterSuppression. It's time for the Senate to do the same."

But it was later discovered Mr Rogers was not allowed to cast a vote, even though he was registered in Harris County, because of a past felony charge.

Hervis Rogers waited six hours to vote on Super Tuesday, but he actually wasn't eligible because of his past felony charge (KTKR-TV)

State records show Mr Rogers is on parole for a 1995 second degree felony offence conviction for burglary, the Texan first reported.

Under the law, a convicted felon is not allowed to vote until their sentence has been "fully discharged the person's sentence". Mr Rogers's parole is not up until 13 June, according to the publication.

He now has 30 days to provide proof his parole is up or his voter registration will expire.