Back in April [1], instead of signing the voter ID bill, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell sent it back to the legislature for several amendments [2], with mixed results [3]. He ultimately decided to [4] sign it into law [5], but issued an executive order mandating that the State Board of Elections conduct voter education and provide all registered voters with free ID.
The politics, however, remain a concern. ALEC Exposed [6] reports that the lead sponsor of the original Senate version [7], Stephen Martin (R-11), is ALEC’s [8] Virginia Chair and the lead sponsor of its House companion [9], Mark Cole (R-88), is also affiliated with ALEC [8]. So is Governor McDonnell [10], who voting rights advocates say continues to ignore another source of disenfranchisement in his state.
Virginia is one of four states [11] that permanently disenfranchise people with felony convictions, though law permits the governor to grant individual clemency. Restoration requires extensive paperwork and an application and has left nearly 378,000 [12] – almost 7% of the population – without the right to vote. Advocates contend that suffrage should be automatically restored after ex-offenders complete their sentences, including any fees or restitution.
Beverly Thompson, August County Corrections Center, Volunteer: [13]
It makes me think of voter suppression and I don't say that word lightly. The media has said in recent past that Governor McDonnell has restored more voting rights than other governors, but it's still not enough. It's still a drop in the bucket.
For more information, click here [14] and here [15], and check out The Right to Vote under Attack: The Campaign to Keep Millions of Americans from the Ballot Box [16], a Right Wing Watch: In Focus [16] report by PFAW Foundation.
