Virginia voters will face a crucial decision this November on whether to restore civil rights to former felons, including whether former felons have the right to vote.
“You’re really not a citizen unless you’re able to vote,” says Mike Little, who recently checked his status online only to discover his civil rights have not been restored. “It’s a huge letdown, especially when you know that you meet all the criteria.”
Little said he was incarcerated from 2022 to 2023 for writing bad checks. He said it’s been three years since his rights were not restored.
The measure would join two other high-profile constitutional amendments on the November ballot addressing abortion access and same-sex marriage.
Currently, in Virginia, if someone has been convicted of a felony and is no longer incarcerated, they must apply to have their civil rights restored by the governor. Those civil rights include the right to vote, serve on a jury, run for office, or become a notary public.
Delegate Sam Rasoul said this constitutional amendment would apply to all civil rights.
“All civil rights should be restored to any returning citizen. As we believe, after you serve your time, you have the right to be able to come back in and be treated like everyone else,” said Rasoul.
Rasoul also added that this takes away someone’s ability to vote.
“This is a long kind of historic nature of taking away the ability for someone to vote. Democrats did it over a 100 years ago in Virginia, and it was really to punish African Americans and other people of color. Right now, we want to make that right and say that you served your time, you should be able to have your rights,” said Rasoul.
Teresa Baker was convicted in 2019 for assault and battery. She was released in 2020, and last year she found out her rights were restored.
When she found out they were restored, she registered to vote.
“I felt like it would give me a voice and a say and being part of the solution rather than just looked at as a problem,” said Baker.
However, not everyone is in favor of the amendment.
10 News spoke with State Senator Mike Peake, who voted against the amendment.
“My biggest concern with the constitutional amendment is that it does not distinguish between violent felons and non-violent felons, so rapist, murderers, child pornographers, they’re having their rights restored just like somebody who wrote a bad check,” said Peake.
When asked what message Little has for people opposed to the constitutional amendment, he wants to ask them: why are you opposed?
“What are you afraid of? Why are you afraid of people being able to vote?” said Little.