Movement Welcoming Former Offenders Back Into Communities is Sweeping the Nation
Washington, DC — Governor Terry McAuliffe (D-VA) restored voting rights to 206,000 former offenders through executive action today, making the Old Dominion the latest in a string of states to welcome those who’ve completed their sentences back into the community by restoring their right to vote. Most states fail to automatically restore the right to vote upon completion of sentence.
With the signing of Friday’s executive order, McAuliffe eliminated the need for an application for felons who had completed their sentences up to that moment.
The governor’s order puts Virginia squarely in a national movement for a 21st Century democracy, where everyone participates, everyone’s voice is heard, and every vote is counted. In the last several years, the movement has accelerated and grown with wins earlier this year in Maryland and now Virginia adding to the momentum. About half of the states restrict rights of criminal offenders; they can now follow Virginia’s lead to restore these rights, or encourage their congressional representatives to support the Democracy Restoration Act.
“This is a huge victory not only for former offenders but also for Virginia and for our greater democracy. The 206,000 Virginians directly affected are family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues who’ve completed their sentences, returned to society, and resumed their civic responsibilities. We cannot truly call ourselves a democracy if we call on former offenders to be productive citizens but refuse to restore their most fundamental right as citizens, the right to speak through the ballot box and have their votes counted on the issues and people that shape our collective future. These eligible voters have returned home, seek or resume employment, and pay taxes. Restoring their right to vote will encourage them to become full, productive and law-abiding participants in our communities,” said Allegra Chapman, Director of Voting and Elections for Common Cause.
Chapman continued, “Governor McAuliffe understands that a democracy that doesn’t work for all of us isn’t really a democracy. C ommon Cause stands with and supports the grassroots activists in Virginia who worked to make this possible, and we stand with Gov. McAuliffe and other elected officials in both parties working to strengthen and affirm government of, by, and for — all the people.”
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