Virginia Governor Restores Voting Rights to 69,000 Formerly Incarcerated Felons

Elections
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, accompanied by his wife Pamela Northam, makes an announcement during a news conference, Richmond, Va., February 2, 2019. (Jay Paul/Reuters)

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam on Tuesday issued an executive order to restore voting and other civil rights to former felons upon completion of their sentence, a change that will immediately apply to more than 69,000 formerly incarcerated Virginians.

The Democratic governor’s order, which comes just months ahead of the state’s gubernatorial and state legislative elections, makes Virginians convicted of felonies eligible to vote immediately upon release from prison, including individuals who remain on probation or parole.

The action reverses the state’s previous law, which permanently stripped anyone convicted of a felony in the state of their right to vote, serve on a jury, run for office, become a public notary or carry a firearm.

“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 announcing the order.

“We are a Commonwealth that believes in moving forward, not being tied down by the mistakes of our past,” the governor added. “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.”

Nationwide roughly 5.2 million Americans have lost the right to vote because of a felony conviction, according to The Sentencing Project. Black Americans are impacted by felony disenfranchisement laws at nearly four times the rate of non-black Americans, the group says.

The order follows a constitutional amendment approved by the state’s 2021 General Assembly session that worked to restore voting and civil rights to formerly incarcerated felons.

The website of the Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth was updated to reflect that the changes had taken effect immediately and that former felons looking to restore their firearm rights should contact their local circuit court.

“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 Kelly Thomasson said in a statement.

“I am proud of Governor Northam’s initiative to welcome these individuals back into society,” she added. “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.”

Northam publicly committed himself to addressing racial inequality in 2018 after a picture was found in his medical school yearbook in which two men are depicted wearing racist garb. One man is wearing a Ku Klux Klan uniform while the other is wearing blackface. Northam initially admitted to appearing in blackface but then denied that he appeared in the image, though he admitted to having donned blackface on other occasions in his youth.

Send a tip to the news team at NR.

Articles You May Like

California man arrested after using hidden camera to record over 90 victims in Starbucks restroom
Tony Bobulinski Is Now Threatening to Sue Rep. Dan Goldman
FLYING BLIND: 1,600 Airplanes Have Been Affected by GPS Jamming Over the Baltic Sea Just in the Last Four Days!
Joy Reid Cites Her Guest Hosts To Claim She Doesn’t Mind Hiring Republicans
Country Beyoncé is just what America needs

15 Comments

  1. If legislation was passed removing therights of felons, he has no authority to issue an EO restoring them. The legislature is the only authority which can do this.

  2. I’m so damn ashamed of this country, and the idiots running it. This is nothing more than pandering for votes. Disgraceful and hypocritical. This man doesn’t give a shit about black people. He cares about his position. What a joke we have become.

    1. You forgot about the most valuable cemetery vote. Many, many people who never voted for democrats in all their lives have been regularly voting for Dumb Dims after their death.

  3. And you will Never see this type of s##t reported in the jacked up demo-owned media. Damnocrats motto, “Keep them in the dark”.

  4. The US VOTER ARE LIKE “A-TIT-ON-A-BULL”….USELESS….EXCEPT for 75 million Trump voters. Otherwise, ITS DUMBOCRAT ASSHOLE VOTING IDIOTS!!! Gasoline UP & GOING UP STEADY!! Stopping a noncarbon neutral footprint pipeline? ASSHOLE PUPPET BIDEN w/the his DNC ASSWIPES rigged 6 battleground States by STUFFING FRAUDULENT BALLOTS. TRUMP WON, NOT SENILE USELESS BIDEN, …PERIOD!!! Putting boys saying they are girls vs girl sports! HEY YOU MORONIC DUMBOCRAT VOTED & DNC FRAUDULENT BALLOTS. DJTrump 2024…then Ivanka Trump 2028 to 2036. GO TEAM TRUMP! They will clean up America put America 1st. Biden is America LAST!!!!

    1. I am an independent non-partisan voter. We are the largest voting block that Trump lost because of his behavior. And you definitely need some addiction therapy!

      1. Have you ever watched the antics of AOC, Pelosi, Schumer, Harris, etc? Yes I know Trump acts crazy sometimes. Maybe everybody in politics is crazy.
        Now, what are the RESULTS of 4 years of Trump? ISIS destroyed, Iran suppressed, N Korea settled down, Jerusalem relocated, NO BORDER CRISIS, record low unemployment, independent self sustaining oil (gasoline, natural gas, etc.) But forget all that, he’s rude and uncultured. You are a dope. Don’t vote. You’re not smart enough.

  5. To all Patriots from the Commonwealth of Virginia: WTF??? How did this ass clown become Governor? Virginia has been a respected leader of the red states for years? We’ll see how he feels when a con rapes wife and shoots him with the new gun he bought ‘cause he can. I always thought Virginia was a beautiful, sane, rational state. I hope it’s still beautiful ‘cause it sure as hell ain’t sane or rational!

    1. Too many democrats move down here from the north and still vote democrat making VA just like the same shithole they left. Now they are going to dump illegal aliens at Fort Lee and make things even worse.

  6. I am embarrassed to say I am a resident of Virginia what an asshole of a governor did is despicable. Where does it say in our constitution that one person can change the legislation and all this is about is to maintain votes so they never lose power the Democrats are the most vile despicable people on the face of the earth and I would never and I mean never vote for a Democrat the rest of my life.

  7. Virginia Governor is a Big stupid POS that is trying to buy votes and support from Low Life Criminals

Leave a Comment - No Links Allowed:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *