Today, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell announced that non-violent former felons will automatically have their rights restored once the governor has verified that person has paid his or her debt to society.
Although this is not all encompassing, this is fantastic news! We are so proud of the work of our members, chapters, and other organizations to make this possible. Thank you all for your dedication to civil rights!
Virginia Organizing has supported, and will continue to support, an automatic restoration of voting rights for all former felons who have served their time and paid for their crimes. But today, we celebrate this victory! A victory that will make a remarkable difference in the lives of thousands and thousands of people!
This new process does not take effect until this summer and there are still former felons that do not qualify for the automatic restoration who will need help with their applications to restore voting rights.
If you are interested in learning how to help with this process, Virginia Organizing is hosting a training and has invited the Advancement Project to give you the information you need to help people get their rights back! The training will take place on Saturday, June 1 from 10 a.m. to noon at 3rd Street Bethel AME Church in Richmond, Virginia (on the corner of Jackson and 3rd Street, enter the door on the 3rd Street side). From noon to 3 p.m., there will be a “restoration of rights drive” where you will have the opportunity to help people with their applications. If you need more information on this event, contact Cathy Woodson at cwoodson@virginia-organizing.org .
If you are interested in hosting a similar training in your area, please contact your local organizer (click here to find your local organizer by choosing a chapter near you) or contact Joe Szakos at szakos@virginia-organizing.org or 434-984-4655 x222.
