A constitutional amendment to restore voting rights for Virginians with prior felony convictions is headed to the November ballot.
RICHMOND, Va. — A proposed constitutional amendment that restores voting rights to Virginians with past felony convictions will officially advance to the ballot after passing both houses. HJ2 is a legislatively referred ballot measure guaranteeing the right to vote for all citizens who are not currently incarcerated for a felony.
Currently, Virginians with felony convictions cannot vote unless and until their right to vote is restored by the governor through discretionary, and often arbitrary, executive action.
“Virginia’s advancement of the voting rights restoration amendment to the ballot is a milestone years in the making,” said Rebekah Caruthers, President and CEO at the Fair Election Center. “Our organization has worked on this issue for well over a decade—researching the impact of disenfranchisement, advising policymakers, and fighting to dismantle the barriers that prevent returning citizens from fully participating in our democracy. Today’s progress is a testament to the success we can achieve through these kinds of sustained, collaborative efforts. Placing the amendment on November’s ballot gives Virginians the opportunity to affirm a fundamental principle: when people have returned to their communities, their voting rights should be restored without delay or any additional paperwork. Voting rights restoration will bring a more inclusive and representative democracy for everyone.”
A recap of Fair Elections Centers’ litigation work on Virginia’s arbitrary voting rights restoration can be found here.