According to Virginia Gov.Terry McAuliffe own website as of April 22nd, 2016 he’s signed an Executive Order that now allows Ex-Felons to vote.    Gov. McAuliffe openly admits that the law that he so boldly overturned, was an old outdated Civil War-era provision in the state’s Constitution, specifically aimed at disenfranchising African Americans and in that day in age Blacks. 

As quoted in the bill listed below, a reported estimate of over 206,000 individuals in the state alone are affected from past mistakes which impeded on there rights to vote.

Now as long as a person has completed their sentences of incarceration for any and all felony convictions and  completed their sentences of supervised release, including probation and parole, for any and all felony convictions.  Then that persons civil rights are restored, what do those consist of other then voting?  Well according to the bill the right to hold public office, the right to serve on a jury and the right to act as a notary public. The Governor wants you to know that nothing in the Order restores the right to bare arms.  Which I find odd how do you take the one word thing which was given by our forefathers of this country out.  Like “Yea you can have all the other stuff, but a gun your pushing it”.

I guess I can understand why he left it out, it of probably been to controversial to deal with considering a lot of the ex-felons might of been and still are violent criminals.  Now you got your white collared felonies in which this case he might of helped out a friend and future nominee for Governor.  We shall see who takes office in the next few years and I’m certain this action alone will put Virginia’s Voting practices and Elections under Microscopes in who’s running and there past.

I think the order does open up more opportunities for ex-felons be it white or black in the state of Virginia and that’s more of a start they have in any other State.

BILL WORD FOR WORD BELOW

Order for the Restoration of Rights

 

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME – GREETINGS:

 

WHEREAS, Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia requires that all those convicted of a felony be deprived of their civil right to vote unless they have their civil rights restored by the Governor or other appropriate authority; and

 

WHEREAS, it is estimated that approximately 206,000 Virginians are permanently disenfranchised from participating in political life due to prior felony convictions even after completing their court-ordered sentences; and

 

WHEREAS, such disenfranchisement disproportionately affects racial minorities and economically disadvantaged Virginians; and

 

WHEREAS, Virginians have increasingly advanced the ideals of equality of all races and peoples, while rejecting the indefinite and unforgiving stigmatization of persons who have committed past criminal acts; and

 

WHEREAS, the Governor is empowered by Article V, Section 12 of the Constitution of Virginia “to remove political disabilities consequent upon conviction,” thus to restore the political rights of any persons disqualified by Article II, Section 1; and

 

WHEREAS, the power granted to the Governor under Article V, Section 12 to remove political disabilities is absolute and without any limitation not expressly stated within the Constitution of Virginia; and

 

WHEREAS, all individuals who have served the terms of their incarceration and any periods of supervised release deserve to re-enter society on fair and just terms, including to participate in the political and economic advancement of Virginia; and

 

WHEREAS, the restoration of civil rights has been noted to achieve substantial benefits for those individuals who have felt long-exiled from mainstream life; and

 

WHEREAS, democracy is strengthened by having more citizens involved in the political process;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Terence R. McAuliffe, Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, by and through the authority vested in me under Article V, Section 12 of the Constitution of Virginia, do hereby order the removal of the political disabilities consequent upon conviction of a felony imposed by Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia from all those individuals who have, as of this 22nd day of April 2016, (1) completed their sentences of incarceration for any and all felony convictions; and (2) completed their sentences of supervised release, including probation and parole, for any and all felony convictions.  The civil rights restored by this Order are: (1) the right to vote; (2) the right to hold public office; (3) the right to serve on a jury; and (4) the right to act as a notary public. Nothing in this Order restores the right to ship, transport, possess, or receive firearms.

 

Given under my hand and under the Lesser Seal of the Commonwealth at Richmond, on April 22, 2016 in the 240th year of the Commonwealth.

________________

Governor of Virginia

 

________________________

Secretary of the Commonwealth

SOURCE