Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) -- The Virginia NAACP is calling for a clear, public criteria for who can have their voting rights restored after being convicted of a felony.
In a letter to the Virginia NAACP on Monday, Secretary of the Commonwealth Kay Coles James said that, when making decisions on voting rights restoration, the Governor considers whether or not a firearm was used in the crime. She said that he is less likely to restore civil rights if a gun was involved. James also said that the Governor "generally... but not always" works to restore rights to those convicted of non-violent felonies.
Virginia NAACP president Robert Barnette says that this was the first the organization has heard of this policy, and that public documents they have obtained show no evidence of it. The organization is now calling for the Governor to clearly lay out what criteria he considers and to publicly codify that policy.
"The right to vote is foundational to our democracy," Barnette said, "and essential to what defines us as a citizen. Virginia is one of only 3 states where the power to restore voting rights lies solely with the Governor, and Virginia is currently the only state where the Governor actually exercises this authority in an arbitrary manner with no timeline."
WRVA has reached out to the Governor's office for comment, but yet to receive a response.