Voting rights restored again for 13K felons in Virginia

Terry McAuliffe today restored voting rights to 13,000 felons, circumventing a court ruling and defying objections to his earlier attempts from Republican legislators.

The almost 13,000 re-enfranchised Monday will now need to register to vote a second time. They send their children and their grandchildren to our schools.

“I have a duty to all Virginians & will not let them be condemned for eternity as inferior, 2nd class citizens”, he added.

The governor had promised to swiftly restore rights a second time for the roughly 13,000 ex-offenders who registered to vote under his order before the Supreme Court’s ruling. “We are also committed to holding the governor accountable on the merits of his policy”.

McAuliffe has said his original order would move Virginia away from lifetime disenfranchisement that hits African-Americans particularly hard.

What’s more, Virginia could be a deciding swing state in the November presidential election.

Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment (R-James City), said in a statement that he was “pleased Governor McAuliffe has complied with the decision of the Supreme Court of Virginia, one month to the day after it was issued”.

The state was then ordered to cancel the registration of more than 11,000 felons who had signed up to vote since the order. “After a thorough review process, Gov. McAuliffe will direct the secretary’s office to process the restoration paperwork for each individual that meet his criteria for restoration”. He promised to do the first 13,000 within a week and all 200,000 within two. Anonymous sources say that McAuliffe will announce that the 13,000 felons are free to register to vote. The governor will review “each individual’s record” before deciding whether to make the restoration. McAuliffe, who is under FBI investigation for campaign contributions, could potentially become a felon himself. “That principle is not found anywhere in our constitution”.

House Speaker Bill Howell questioned the new process McAuliffe laid out, which does not differentiate between violent and nonviolent offenders as past governors have done. Those who commit more serious crimes, of course, have longer sentences imposed by a judge or a jury of their peers. Three states – Florida, Kentucky and Iowa – still permanently revoke voting rights for felons. The state Supreme Court said McAuliffe had overstepped his clemency powers through his sweeping order.

He said the names of those who have their voting rights restored would be made public on the 15th of every month.