Va. Gov. Spanberger: ‘I’m Pleased to Announce’ that We Have Now Restored the Voting Rights of 100,000 Convicted Felons

EXCERPT:

SPANBERGER: "Well, I‘ll be speaking to the importance of voting rights. And certainly in Virginia, I‘m pleased to announce that we have now restored the voting rights of 100,000 eligible voters, people who, because of a felony conviction, lost their voting rights. And Virginia is one of only three states in the country where someone permanently is disenfranchized for a felony conviction. The only way to get your votes restored in Virginia is by an action of the governor. Now, importantly, we have a constitutional amendment on the ballot this November so that voter restoration will be automatic. But my office and I have taken a strong stance that someone who has paid their debt to communities, someone who has, you know, reentered a community, that they should be able to have their, their voice back. And in America, we make our voices heard at the ballot box. And so I‘ll be speaking to the importance of voting, and certainly the work that we‘ve done in Virginia to honor that value for all of our eligible voters."