On July 31, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) announced that since taking office on Jan. 17, she has restored the voting rights of 66,085 Virginia residents with felony convictions.
Virginia is one of three states, along with Iowa and Kentucky, where individuals convicted of any felony never regain the right to vote without some form of state action to restore their rights, under state law. However, executive orders in Iowa and Kentucky, and a court ruling in Virginia, have changed the states’ policies.
Since 2018, 13 states, not including Virginia, have expanded voting rights for individuals with felony convictions.
