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Virginia Governor Restores Voting Rights for Over 200,000 Who Have Completed Their Felony Sentences

Fairfax County criminal defense attorney on deprivation of voting rights for felony convictions. Highly-rated Virginia lawyer pursuing the best defense in DWI, felony, misdemeanor, prostitution, sex offense, drug and marijuana cases

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On April 22, 2016, Virginia’s governor Terry McAuliffe restored the voting rights, and right to run for office and be a notary public, for over two hundred thousand people who have completed their felony sentences, and any supervised release, parole or probation. This good news came the same week as the bad news that Virginia’s legislature had passed a law shielding the identity of lethal execution drug manufacturers.

Virginia’s Constitution provides that “No person who has been convicted of a felony shall be qualified to vote unless his civil rights have been restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority.” Va. Const. art. II, §  1

Here is a New York Times article on the issue and effects of depriving convicted felons of voting rights in Virginia and other states.