Posted on 07/31/2026 7:01:33 PM PDT by Red Badger
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger announced on Friday that her administration has restored voting rights for more than 66,000 felons since taking office in January.
The Democrats gained 66,085 new voters with this move.
Their rights to serve on a jury, run for public office, and become a notary public were also restored under Spanberger's direction.
"By giving these Virginians back their ability to make an impact at the local, state, and national levels, we are empowering our neighbors to take hold of their second chance,” Spanberger said in a statement.
Virginia is one of three states that strips convicted felons of their right to vote.
Spanberger's predecessor, Republican Glenn Youngkin, previously rolled back a policy of automatically restoring felons' rights and chose to evaluate applications on a case-by-case basis.
According to the Blaze, Youngkin had restored the right to vote for about 10,000 felons.
“The right to vote is foundational to who we are as Americans. As a Member of Congress, as a candidate for Governor, and in the months since I took office, I have heard from many Virginians who have shared their personal stories of redemption with me — and heartfelt reflections of the moment their voting rights were restored by previous Governors,” Spanberger said.
"I’m proud that — after contending with my predecessor's efforts to deny Virginians their fundamental rights — we have restored the rights of more than 66,000 Virginians who have served their time. These Virginians deserve the right to use their vote, make their voices heard, and be recognized as contributing citizens to our Commonwealth and country."
She further urged voters to vote yes on a constitutional amendment that would automatically restore voting rights to convicted felons upon completing their sentences. She called the practice of stripping voting rights from felons "a shameful relic of our Jim Crow past."
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Are all the felons black?
Felons on juries can make prosecutions VERY difficult.
I will laff my a$$ off if they all begin voting Republican...............
Criminals, illegals, ‘elites’ who never earned a dime and commies ARE the democrat base.
“”Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger announced on Friday that her administration has restored voting rights for more than 66,000 felons since taking office in January. “”
***
In a... not even perfect world, just a normal, sane world... this would be a Babylon Bee article. However, the reality is much worse than any satire one could dream up and use to mock.
The reality is... the Democrats are openly declaring their treasonous nature against America, as founded (constitutionally)... and arrogantly even admitting via their actions... that they cater to and are on the side of criminals... because they are criminals. If they had even a glimmer of an idea that those 66,000 criminals wouldn’t vote ‘for’ the Democrats, this would not be happening.
I hope that the sane and even borderline sane voters of America are paying attention and taking notes on these actions... and will reflect their opinions on these shenanigans this November and in 2028. If they don’t... it’s possible that the inmates will take over and run the asylum into the ground, once again. And the next time, America may not survive.
“...Virginia is one of three states that strips convicted felons of their right to vote...”
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That is simply not true.
Most states do that until completion of their sentence.
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https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/felon-voting-rights
Can you just override a law like that by fiat?!
Fixed it.
Government versus the people.
Again.
Sounds like the broke DNC and the rest of the demo-commies are getting really desparate and worried about the mid-terms. It may be that the cheating they usually do is going to be crimped a good bit and they’ll need every bogus name on the rolls they can get.
She’s one nasty bi#Ch.
Career CIA is deep-state garbage.
No matter, recidivism will save the day.
Apparently you can in VA...................
Sorry, but I support this.
Felons should have all their rights restored after their sentence is served. If they are too dangerous to have a gun, or vote, they should still be in jail.
“We all hate you normals, but we sure do love us those illegals and felons!”
And With a Democrat controlled legislature she can...............
You a felon?
BRAVE AI:
Yes, Virginia is one of only three U.S. states where the constitution permanently disenfranchises all individuals with felony convictions unless the governor individually restores their voting rights. The other two states with similar restrictions are Iowa and Kentucky, though both have recently moved toward automatic restoration for most cases via executive orders.
Recent Legal Changes: On January 22, 2026, a federal judge ruled that Virginia’s blanket disenfranchisement violates the Virginia Readmission Act of 1870, which limits voting loss to only those crimes considered felonies at common law in 1870 (e.g., murder, rape, arson). As a result, Virginians convicted of modern felonies not on that 1870 list—such as many drug offenses—have had their voting rights automatically restored without needing gubernatorial action.
Restoration Process: Prior to the 2026 ruling, governors like Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam used executive authority to restore rights en masse, while Glenn Youngkin shifted to a stricter case-by-case review. In 2026, Governor Abigail Spanberger restored rights for over 66,000 felons early in her term. A constitutional amendment to make restoration automatic upon release from incarceration passed the General Assembly in February 2026 and will face a voter referendum in November 2026.
AI-generated answer. Please verify critical facts.
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