Governor Abigail Spanberger Restores Voting Rights to 66,000 Virginians with Past Felony Convictions
Governor Abigail Spanberger announced on Friday that she is restoring the voting rights of approximately 66,000 Virginians who have past felony convictions. This move reverses the restrictive approach taken by her predecessor, Glenn Youngkin, who had limited the number of restorations under his leadership. Spanberger, a Democrat, described the current system of felony disenfranchisement as a "shameless relic of our Jim Crow past." She noted that the state is preparing for a constitutional amendment in November that would guarantee voting rights for anyone with a felony conviction who is not currently incarcerated. If passed, this amendment would end the governor's discretionary power over voting rights. Advocates have praised the move, though some emphasize the need for the November amendment to ensure that voting access is not left to the whim of a single officeholder. The administration is currently working to identify more citizens who have served their time but remain unable to vote.