Dear ,

In 2023, the ACLU of Virginia filed King v. Youngkin, a lawsuit challenging the disenfranchisement of thousands of Virginia voters, a practice with roots stretching back to the Civil War. 

After emancipation, former Confederate states systematically stripped Black Americans of their voting rights by expanding the list of crimes that triggered permanent disenfranchisement. Congress pushed back. In 1870, as a condition of Virginia's readmission to the Union, a federal law, called the Virginia Readmission Act, capped that list at nine specific crimes: murder, manslaughter, arson, burglary, robbery, rape, sodomy, mayhem, and larceny. Within years, however, Virginia amended its state constitution and quietly expanded that list, undoing the federal protection. 

That fight came to a head recently, when a federal judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. The victory was immediate and significant: thousands of Virginians with certain felony convictions gained the right to register to vote. Guidance on the registration process is still forthcoming, so stay tuned. 

Virginia remains one of only three states that still requires gubernatorial action to restore voting rights after a felony conviction, and it is the ONLY state where individuals must personally petition the governor. This makes the process even more precarious; the rules change from one administration to the next. 

This November, Virginia voters will have the chance to change that for good. A ballot amendment would make voting rights restoration automatic for people with felony convictions — no petition, no waiting, no uncertainty. 

Key Dates to Remember 

• June 18 — Early voting begins for Virginia primaries 

• July 1 — A new law takes effect protecting the voting rights of people under guardianship: when a guardian is appointed for someone with a disability, that person's voting rights are preserved unless the court is given a specific reason to remove them 

• November 3 — Vote on the ballot amendment for automatic rights restoration 

Check your registration HERE and make a plan now for early voting.  

In Solidarity,
Keisha

Rev. Dr. LaKeisha Cook
Executive Director

Virginia is celebrating Juneteenth in cities and towns across the state. Click the link below for a list of events. 

We are excited to come together in Richmond, at Studio Two Three, on Thursday, June 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to build community and share our hopes and concerns about maternal health policy work. These conversations will help shape our maternal health work in 2027.

Founded in 2019 by VICPP, the PUSH Coalition is a dedicated group of more than 40 organizations and community leaders focused on improving maternal health equity in Virginia. It addresses the state's high maternal mortality and morbidity rate by advocating for legislation and supporting birthing women and people from the perinatal period through postpartum.

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy advocates economic,
racial, and social justice in Virginia’s policies and practices
through education, prayer, and action.