Over a Quarter Million Virginians Are Banned from Voting
New Sentencing Project brief reveals jarring gaps in democratic representation thanks to felony disenfranchisement.
Related to: Voting Rights, State Advocacy
[Washington, DC] – Today, The Sentencing Project released a new factsheet revealing that more than 260,000 Virginia citizens are banned from voting due to having a felony conviction, effectively excluding thousands of citizens from the democratic process in Virginia. The commonwealth has the fourth highest disenfranchised population in the nation, behind Florida, Texas, and Tennessee.
Black Virginians make up just 18% of the state’s population, yet constitute nearly 52% of the prison population. They are incarcerated at almost four times the rate of white Virginians. As a result, felony disenfranchisement in Virginia hits Black communities hardest, diluting their political representation. Roughly one out of every 10 Black voting-eligible Virginians is banned from voting due to a felony-level conviction. Black voting-eligible Virginians are also 3.5 times as likely to be disenfranchised as non-Black Virginians.
Research shows that restoring voting rights can facilitate successful reentry by fostering a sense of belonging and connection within one’s community. Additionally, civic engagement has been shown to improve community safety and reduce the likelihood of recidivism.
“For generations, the political power of entire communities has been weakened by laws rooted in exclusion, instability, and racial injustice. Today, Virginia has a rare chance to reject that legacy and build something stronger: a democracy where every person has a voice, every community has a stake, and no one is left outside the promise of civic belonging,” said Sheba Williams, Founder and Executive Director of Nolef Turns, Inc. and Co-lead of Virginia Right to Vote Coalition.
The recent history of rights restoration efforts in Virginia has been marked by dramatic and unpredictable changes, depending on each new gubernatorial administration. Under the previous administration, voting rights restorations decreased between 2022 and 2025. These inconsistencies increase uncertainty and create a volatile voting rights landscape for justice-impacted Virginians.
“Virginia’s system of felony disenfranchisement is not an accident — it is a legacy of anti-Black exclusion,” said Nicole D. Porter, senior director of advocacy at The Sentencing Project. “Denying voting rights to people after prison disproportionately silences Black communities and undermines the promise of democracy. Expanding voting rights is the bare minimum for justice and an affirmation that everyone deserves to have a voice in their community.”
In January, a landmark federal court decision found the Virginia Constitution violated federal law when the Commonwealth’s representatives were readmitted to Congress after the Civil War, on the condition that Virginia could not further deprive citizens of the right to vote except for a set of felonies that were common law in 1870. The ruling paves the way for many Virginians with felony convictions to have their voting rights restored.
Extending voting rights to all Virginians, regardless of current or past convictions, is necessary to strengthen democracy and advance racial justice in the state.
About The Sentencing Project
The Sentencing Project is a national nonprofit organization advocating for a fair and effective criminal justice system. Through research, policy analysis, and public education, it promotes reforms that reduce incarceration and advance racial justice.
About Nolef Turns, Inc.
Nolef Turns, Inc. is a Virginia-based nonprofit organization led by individuals with lived experience in the justice system. The organization is committed to advocacy, community education, and reducing recidivism by elevating directly impacted voices and promoting pathways to successful reentry.
