Urge Kaine to extend voting rights to ex-offenders
Before Gov. Tim Kaine leaves office, there is one really important thing he needs to do: sign an executive order restoring voting rights to former felons. The Virginia Voter Restoration Project’s Restore Our Vote campaign urges citizens to sign a petition calling for Kaine to act now.
More than 300,000 formerly incarcerated residents of Virginia, including many of who have served their sentences and are now productive, tax-paying members of our communities, are permanently barred from voting, due to Virginia’s outdated law, which was enacted during the Jim Crow era. More than half of the people banned from voting are African Americans.
Virginia is one of only two states, along with Kentucky, that automatically denies voting rights to ex-offenders, even after they have completed their sentences. Since 1997, 16 states have modernized their felony disfranchisement laws, allowing more than 700,000 formerly incarcerated persons to vote.
Under the Virginia Constitution, former felons may submit an application to have their voting rights restored. Kaine has restored the voting rights of more than 4,000 people, more than any other Virginia governor, but there is no guarantee that a governor will approve anyone’s voting rights request. In fact, there are instances where people’s requests have been denied simply because they had traffic tickets within the past three years.
If Kaine doesn’t sign an executive order restoring voting rights, his successor isn’t likely to pick up the ball on this issue. Several pieces of legislation aimed at ending this travesty were considered last year, but none passed. According to a report by the Media General News Service, Kaine’s successor, Bob McDonnell favors restoring voting rights to “certain nonviolent offenders who have met very specific requirements, have maintained a clean record, and are contributing members of society.” In addition to the current requirements, McDonnell would add more hurdles: “proof of a consistent job history and a record of community service.”
Voting is a right for all all citizens–even those who have committed crimes and paid their debt to society. Sign the petition and send Kaine a message.
3 responses to “Urge Kaine to extend voting rights to ex-offenders”
Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply
End the senseless killing of convicted felons thru the death penalty! From you description I like the new Governor's plan better for voting privilege restoration and I think the people of Virginia have spoken very clearly about the current direction of the state and the country.
I believe former felons should have the right to vote.
I think that ex-felons in most cases should be allowed to reclaim their voting priveledges. And there is a process in place to do this although it seems it could stand some serious improvement. From what I have read, there are cases of people having to wait years or be denied due to speeding tickets. If you are clean and have paid your debt to society, your request should be processed expeditiously once it is verified you are 'clean' and have finished your 'debt'. Perhaps the governor should be removed from the chain, as long as there is a vetting system in place. Update and fix the current process…don't encourage governors, Rs or Ds, to act in a kingly manner.