Over a Quarter Million Virginians are Banned From Voting in the Upcoming Special Election
As April marks Second Chance Month, Virginia’s disenfranchised voters are silenced during a critical moment in democracy.
Related to: Voting Rights, State Advocacy
[Washington, DC]- Over 260,000 justice-impacted Virginians will not be able to vote in the upcoming special election this month. According to The Sentencing Project, Virginia continues to be one of the nation’s leaders in felony disenfranchisement and has the fourth highest disenfranchised population in the country behind Florida, Texas, and Tennessee.
Felony disenfranchisement also inflicts unequal weight on Black Virginians, largely due to disparities in the state’s criminal legal system. Black Virginians constitute nearly 52% of the prison population, yet only make up 18% of the state’s population. Black Virginians are also incarcerated at almost four times the rate of White Virginians–reflecting a deeply entrenched racial injustice issue throughout the commonwealth.
On April 21st, Virginians will vote in a special election to determine whether the General Assembly can temporarily adopt new congressional districts ahead of the November midterm elections. While this decision will shape political representation across the commonwealth, hundreds of thousands of justice-impacted Virginians, ten percent of whom are Black, will not be able to cast their ballot.
“As a result of these felony voting bans, Black and Brown Virginians will be systemically locked out of a crucial decision that impacts their political representation,” said Nicole D. Porter, senior director of advocacy. “By denying people with felony convictions a voice in the policies that shape our communities and futures, the Commonwealth is deliberately excluding entire communities from our democracy and impeding successful reentry for thousands of returning citizens. Civic participation strengthens public safety, supports reentry, and reduces recidivism. Denying the vote does not protect democracy — it weakens it.”
“The voices of justice-impacted Virginians will not be heard in this election but its impact will be felt throughout the Commonwealth. Political representation is power– and all Virginians should be able to participate in shaping their futures.” said Sheba Williams, Founder and Executive Director of Nolef Turns, Inc. and Co-lead of Virginia Right to Vote Coalition.
Later this year, Virginians will vote on a constitutional amendment that would automatically restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated citizens. According to The Sentencing Project, this would restore voting rights to nearly 232,000 impacted people, marking one of the most significant expansions of democratic access in the state’s history.
Virginia’s current iteration of rights restoration is unstable and deeply partisan, shifting dramatically between gubernatorial administrations and confusing eligible voters. This systemic volatility undermines participation and trust in the electoral process, particularly for justice-impacted communities.
Earlier this year, a landmark federal court decision restored voting rights to Virginians who were convicted of certain felonies that were established prior to the Civil War. This decision signified a positive development in the fight for rights restoration, but there is still an opportunity for Virginia to develop a democratic system that is truly representative of the commonwealth.
