Virginia Gov. Spanberger restores voting rights to 66,000 people with past felony convictions
Good Good Good · 2026-08-03
Virginia Governor Spanberger has restored voting rights to 66,085 individuals with past felony convictions, allowing them to vote, serve on juries, run for office, and become notaries public. This announcement, made seven weeks before early voting begins for the 2026 midterm elections, addresses Virginia's status as one of only three states whose constitutions permanently disenfranchise felons unless gubernatorial action is taken. Governors had previously streamlined this process for a decade until former Governor Glenn Youngkin's administration in 2022. Spanberger's administration reinstated the application review and proactive outreach, removing "unnecessary" questions added during the Youngkin era, with Secretary of the Commonwealth Candi Mundon King confirming individual reviews in collaboration with law enforcement. This move comes as a constitutional referendum, scheduled for the November 3 election, seeks to automatically restore voting rights upon release from incarceration, thereby largely removing governors from this process. Early voting commences on September 18.
*The full article also explores the historical context of felony disenfranchisement in Virginia and the political implications of the upcoming constitutional amendment.*