Northam restores voting rights to 69,000 felons, increases eligibility going forward

(The Center Square) – Gov. Ralph Northam restored the voting rights to 69,000 Virginians on Tuesday and changed the eligibility requirements to make it easier for felons to have their rights restored in the future.

Going forward, the governor changed the criteria to make every person eligible to have his or her civil rights restored upon release from incarceration, even if the person remains on community supervision. These rights include the right to vote, the right to run for office and the right to serve on a jury.

Under current law, a person convicted of a felony automatically loses his or her civil rights upon incarceration. To have one’s rights restored, the governor or other appropriate authority must take action to restore those rights.

Northam said the new criteria is meant to mirror a proposed constitutional amendment, which would automatically restore civil rights to every person upon release from prison. The resolution for the constitutional amendment passed both chambers of the General Assembly earlier this year. For a constitutional amendment to be adopted, a resolution with the same language must pass the General Assembly two years in a row and be approved by voters at the ballot box through a referendum.

“Too many of our laws were written during a time of open racism and discrimination, and they still bear the traces of inequity,” Northam said in a statement. “We are a Commonwealth that believes in moving forward, not being tied down by the mistakes of our past. If we want people to return to our communities and participate in society, we must welcome them back fully—and this policy does just that.”

To date, Northam has restored the civil rights of more than 111,000 Virginians.

“Restoring the rights of Virginians who have served their time makes it easier for these men and women to move forward with their lives,” Secretary of the Commonwealth Kelly Thomasson said in a statement. “I am proud of Governor Northam’s initiative to welcome these individuals back into society. All Virginians deserve to have their voices heard, and these changes demonstrate the Northam Administration’s continued commitment to second chances, rehabilitation, and restorative justice.”

Neither the governor’s actions nor the proposed constitutional amendment would restore the civil rights of felons while they are still incarcerated. The commonwealth is one of three states that have a constitutional provision permanently barring felons from exercising their civil rights, but gives the governor the sole authority to restore rights, excluding firearm rights.

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