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posted by takyon on Sunday July 24 2016, @11:22PM   Printer-friendly
from the better-luck-next-cycle dept.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/22/487107922/virginia-court-overturns-order-that-restored-voting-rights-to-felons

McAuliffe had issued a sweeping executive order in April that affected 206,000 ex-offenders in the state.

In a 4-3 ruling, the state's justices said under the state constitution, McAuliffe didn't have the authority for such a proclamation.

[...] Nothing stops the governor from granting rights to felons on an individual basis, but the justices said it was unconstitutional to do it through a blanket order.

[...] Under McAuliffe's order, the restoration of rights only extended to felons who have finished serving their terms — anyone in prison, or on supervised probation or parole, was still barred from voting. The order also granted felons the right to serve on juries and become a notary.

[...] He also noted that most states allow felons who have completed their terms to vote — Iowa, Kentucky and Florida are the only other exceptions.

[...] "Republicans suspect the real motive for McAuliffe's order is political," [NPR's] Pam [Fessler] reported [earlier this month]. "The governor is a close ally of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who could benefit from more African-American voters if the race in Virginia is tight. McAuliffe denied that was his reason for issuing the order."


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @12:00AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @12:00AM (#379567)

    Then again - do we want every dope smoking convict in the country voting? Crazy stuff will happen, like legalizing that Mary Jane weed

    Ah, so the state acting as your personal bully moral agent is peach, but when the favor is returned...

  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Monday July 25 2016, @12:05AM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Monday July 25 2016, @12:05AM (#379570) Journal

    Your sarcasm detector is broken.

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    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @12:10AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 25 2016, @12:10AM (#379576)

      With Runaway, you can never be too sure.

      Some insanity spews forth, and "oh, you were serious?"

      • (Score: 1, Offtopic) by Azuma Hazuki on Monday July 25 2016, @04:42AM

        by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Monday July 25 2016, @04:42AM (#379654) Journal

        Even I caught that one though, and I've got a reputation for being just slightly more literal-minded than Leona Heidern...

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