ELECT to Notify Over 200,000 Newly Reenfranchised Virginians They Are Now Eligible to Vote
RICHMOND, Va. — The January decision in King v. O’Bannon held Virginia may only deny the right to vote for a subset of felony convictions that were common law felonies in 1870. Previously, Virginia stripped people of the right to vote for all felony convictions. Prior to the court’s order, Virginia denied the right to vote to over 260,000 Virginians, the fourth largest disenfranchised population in the country.
Following another court order in late August, the commonwealth has now determined that only three modern felony convictions take away the right to vote: murder, voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. People with any other conviction can no longer be denied the right to vote, effectively restoring the right to vote to over 200,000 people.
In early August, the Virginia Department of Elections (ELECT) agreed to notify newly reenfranchised voters of their eligibility. This agreement came after conversations between Campaign Legal Center, on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Virginia and Bridging the Gap in Virginia, and ELECT to determine the best way to notify newly eligible voters of their rights. As a result of this agreement, the Virginia Department of Elections committed to contacting the over 200,000 recently reenfranchised voters in Virginia by the start of early voting today, Sept. 18.
“Our democracy is strongest when every eligible American votes, but for more than 100 years, generations of Virginians have been illegally blocked from making their voices heard in elections,” said Blair Bowie, director of Restore Your Vote at Campaign Legal Center. “The ruling in King v. O’Bannon made it clear that hundreds of thousands of Virginians were unfairly denied their right to vote, but this massive expansion of the franchise will not be realized unless people know about it. This agreement with the Commonwealth of Virginia helps to ensure that those who have been reenfranchised are made aware of their right to vote and are able to register and more fully participate in our democracy.”
"We are grateful that ELECT has agreed to reach out directly to Virginians who are newly eligible to register to vote," said Joan Porte, president of the League of Women Voters of Virginia. "This agreement is an important step toward ensuring that Virginians whose voting rights have been restored know they can once again participate in our democracy. A right is only meaningful when people know they have it and have a real opportunity to exercise it. The League stands ready to help anyone who receives this notice and needs assistance registering to vote."
"Reaching out to reenfranchise those individuals — who have wrongfully and continuously had their voting rights removed over the past 156 years since the Constitutional Readmission Act at the conclusion of the Civil War — is the right thing to do," said Richard Walker, founder and executive director of Bridging the Gap in Virginia. "Not just for the past but, also, going forward. It is time for the Commonwealth of Virginia to 'right the wrongs' from the past Jim Crow laws established in 1902 that have permeated and disenfranchised Virginia citizens for more than a century."
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The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center advances democracy through law. We safeguard the freedom to vote, defend voters’ right to know who is spending money to influence elections, and work to ensure public trust in our elected officials.
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