Spanberger Opens Ballot Box to 66,000 Virginia Felons After Restoring Voting Rights [WATCH]

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger is moving fast to reshape the Commonwealth’s electorate, announcing that her administration has restored civil rights to more than 66,000 Virginians with past felony convictions, as reported by Breitbart.

The Democrat framed the sweeping action as a matter of American principle, declaring in a Friday press release that “the right to vote is foundational to who we are as Americans.” That is the sort of polished political line Democrats love when they are expanding the voter rolls in a way that just happens to benefit their side.

Spanberger said she heard stories of “redemption” both while campaigning for governor and since taking office. Her office made clear the move does not stop at voting, since restored rights also include jury service, running for public office, and becoming a notary public.

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Virginia remains one of only three states where the constitution permanently strips citizens with felony convictions of certain civil rights unless the governor restores them. That gives the governor enormous discretion, which Spanberger is now using with unmistakable enthusiasm.

Her office stated that the restored civil rights include “the right to vote, serve on a jury,” and to “run for public office.” In other words, the administration is not simply allowing former felons back into the voting booth; it is reopening several doors of civic authority.

Spanberger took a direct shot at former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who had moved away from automatic restoration and reviewed applications individually. Democrats, of course, call that denial of rights, while many Virginians would call it basic judgment.

“I’m proud that, after contending with my predecessor’s efforts to deny Virginians their fundamental rights, we have restored the rights of more than 66,000 Virginians who have served their time,” Spanberger said.

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“These Virginians deserve the right to use their vote, make their voices heard, and be recognized as contributing citizens to our Commonwealth and country.”

The announcement also lands ahead of a major fall referendum in Virginia. Voters are expected to decide whether to approve a constitutional amendment that would allow felons to have their voting rights restored upon release from incarceration.

That would take much of the decision out of the governor’s hands and create a broader restoration process. For Democrats, that is the dream, a permanent structural change wrapped in the language of compassion and civil rights.

Spanberger argued that restoring these rights gives people back “their ability to make an impact at the local, state, and national levels.” She added that doing so helps them “take hold of their second chance.”

“This fall, voters can cast their ballots for Virginia to no longer strip so many of our neighbors of their fundamental rights, a shameful relic of our Jim Crow past,” Spanberger said. “I hope Virginians will join me in voting yes.”

There it is, the predictable escalation to one of the left’s favorite rhetorical weapons. If a Republican governor wants individual review for people with felony records, Democrats reach for history’s darkest chapters and pretend the debate is over.

According to Virginia Public Media, Youngkin restored the voting rights of fewer than 10,000 Virginians. That followed his decision to roll back the automatic restoration process used by his three predecessors and handle each case individually.

Spanberger’s approach is far broader, and the political implications are obvious. Virginia voters will now decide whether this mass restoration push becomes part of a larger constitutional shift, while Democrats celebrate another expansion of the electorate they believe will help them at the ballot box.

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