Dem
47
GOP
53
Virginia is the only state that bans anyone convicted of a felony from ever voting again. However, starting in 2013, governors of both parties in that state have used their executive powers to re-enfranchise felons who have completed their sentences. Until former governor Glenn "Tough on Crime" Youngkin decided not to do it.
Now, Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) has restored the practice. She restored the voting rights of 66,000 felons who have served their time and been released from prison. She said: "These Virginians deserve the right to use their vote, make their voices heard, and be recognized as contributing citizens to our commonwealth and country." Here is a list of how each state deals with restoration of voting rights for felons who have served their sentences. In many states, felons lose their right to vote while incarcerated, but get it back automatically when they are released. In some states, they also lose it while on parole. In Maine and Vermont, they never lose their right to vote, even while in prison. Presumably they vote by absentee ballot during that time.
The received wisdom on this is that felons are poor, and poor people vote Democratic. But that may not be true. This is an experimental hypothesis that can be tested by contacting a group of re-enfranchised felons and asking them how they voted. Someone actually did this and collected some data. In actuality, former prisoners tend to vote Republican—for an obvious reason. Most former prisoners are working-class white men. And working-class white men are largely Republicans. Not all people sent to prison are working-class Republicans (Jeffrey Epstein, Bernie Madoff, Elizabeth Holmes and Ghislaine Maxwell come to mind), but most are.
Spanberger may or may not know the statistics here, but she is doing what she thinks is right, rather than trying to swing an election or two. The idea is to encourage the former prisoners to get their acts together and become law-abiding citizens. Reminding them of their past every 2 years does not help. Voting-rights groups cheered Spanberger's action.
Future governors may not have to decide whether to restore rights or not. A ballot initiative in November would automatically restore the voting rights of all Virginia felons as soon as they are released. If it passes, this kind of show announcement will be over. (V)