Gov. Terry McAuliffe today announced a way forward for people to get their voting rights restored. We applaud today’s news that 13,000 formerly incarcerated people in Virginia who were registered to vote after the April restoration order — only to have that canceled by the Virginia Supreme Court’s decision last month — will once again will have their rights restored through this process.
“Since my conviction, I have taken an interest in the political process because I’ve seen our neighborhoods struggle,” said Tammie Hagen-Noel, 51, of Richmond whose rights were canceled under the Supreme Court decision. “I’m so excited about this news, and excited for my voice to count; for my voice to matter.”
The announcement included the following key information:
* Individual re-restoration of voting rights for the 13,000 formerly incarcerated people whose registration was canceled because of the court decision is a first priority
* Individual restoration orders were printed and sent to newly restored voters on Friday
* Prioritizing those who seek to have their rights restored and those who have been released from supervision the longest
* People who are interested in getting their rights restored should call the Secretary of the Commonwealth at 804-692-0104.
“For all the people who have reached out to us, asking what they can do to get their rights restored, we are pleased they have an immediate path forward,” said New Virginia Majority Co-Executive Director Tram Nguyen. “We thank Gov. McAuliffe for continuing to show his commitment to correct the wrongs of our past.”
This is one step toward fairness for the nearly 200,000 Virginians still disenfranchised through outdated, unjust laws. Through outreach, education and voter engagement, New Virginia Majority will continue the work of bringing all Virginians back into the political process.
