In April 2016, Gov. Terry McAuliffe restored the voting rights to more than 200,000 former felons who completed their sentences, and have been cleared of supervised probation – allowing them to vote this upcoming presidential election in November.
A couple of months later, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that Gov. McAuliffe does not have the legislative authority for the blanket restoration of voting rights. In a 4 to 3 ruling, Virginia State justices ruled that under the state constitution, Gov. McAuliffe does not have the right to give ex-felons the ability to vote.
How Gov. McAuliffe Is Outsmarting The GOP
McAuliffe is getting around the ruling by signing 200,000 individual grants to Virginia’s ex-convicts. McAuliffe noted that the struggle for civil rights has always been an arduous one. The fight for basic rights for the disproportionately
Black ex-convicts who were jailed for petty crimes is a symptom of a larger problem, and the state is too comfortable trying to silence a specific demographic to maximize political power.
Some members of the GOP complained that McAuliffe’s effort to restore voting rights is an attempt to secure Hillary Clinton’s seat in the White House. Never mind that the GOP is suggesting that banning the 1 out of 5 is something that will benefit the GOP, even if this ban resembles remnants of former Jim Crow laws.
Virginia’s Former Felons Can Influence Who Becomes President
There is some weight when it comes to the impact that Virginia may have with the current presidential lineup. In 2008 and 2012, Virginia was one of the key states that pushed President Barack Obama to victory. Now if ex-convicts gain the right to vote, then theoretically, all 200,000 ex-felons could decide who wins the White House between Clinton and Donald Trump.
Currently, about 13,000 ex-convicts have registered to vote. Even though individual clemency grants is more intensive than granting blanket voting restorations, McAuliffe hopes that enough will register to influence the current political climate.
Featured Image: Screenshot Via YouTube Video.
