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House Passes Amendment to Automatically Restore Voting Rights for People with Felony Convictions
Summary
House Joint Resolution 2, a proposed constitutional amendment to automatically restore political rights to people with felony convictions after release from incarceration, passed the House 55–44 after debate over victims' rights, restitution and historical context.
The Virginia House of Delegates on Tuesday approved House Joint Resolution 2 by a recorded vote of 55 ayes and 44 noes. The resolution would amend the state constitution to provide for the automatic restoration of political rights once a person with a felony conviction is released from incarceration.
Supporters said automatic restoration promotes reentry, reduces recidivism and remedies a racialized history of disenfranchisement. "The proposed constitutional amendment provides an affirmative fundamental right to vote for qualified voters," Delegate Bennett Parker, the resolution's sponsor, told…
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