On Tuesday, the House Privileges and Elections Committee in Virginia voted to advance House Joint Resolution 2 (HJ2), a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to restore voting rights for individuals with felony convictions upon release from incarceration and strengthen voting protections for individuals with disabilities. The resolution, introduced by Delegate Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-Alexandria), was passed by the committee in a narrow vote of 12 to 9.
Under this amendment, individuals who have completed incarceration for felony convictions would automatically regain their voting rights, eliminating the current requirement for rights restoration by the governor.
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