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New Virginia Majority Works Towards Passing the Right to Vote Constitutional Amendment in 2025 Legislative Session

Monday, January 14, 2025
Contact: Debra Freeman, [email protected], 757-452-1143

New Virginia Majority Works Towards Passing the Right to Vote Constitutional Amendment in 2025 Legislative Session

Richmond, Va. - The right to vote and to choose our leaders is a fundamental foundation of this country, and for nearly two decades NVM has advocated for citizens returning from prison to have their voting rights automatically reinstated after paying their debt to society.

New Virginia Majority is committed to working with members of the legislature to take steps to put the right to vote constitutional amendment (HJ2/SJ248) on the ballot for Virginians by 2026. SJ248 will be heard in the Privileges and Elections Senate committee, while HJ2 will be debated on the house floor on its way to final passage.

Our organization has helped restore and register over 30,000 returning citizens throughout the state. While they come from all walks of life, the majority of them are people of color, particularly Black men, who are overrepresented in all stages of our criminal legal system, and in Virginia, one in ten Black people of voting age are not able to do so. 

The commonwealth is one of the last states in the country that takes away civil rights from people after they have served their time, and returning citizens deserve the right to participate fully in our democracy. This issue transcends politics, as voters from all walks of life throughout the commonwealth support giving people second chances and ensuring that returning citizens have the opportunity to reintegrate into society and live full lives as citizens.

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New Virginia Majority builds power in working-class communities of color, in immigrant communities, among LGBTQ people, women, youth, and progressives across the Commonwealth. We organize for racial and economic justice through large-scale political education, mobilization and advocacy around dozens of issues. We fight for a Virginia that is just, democratic and environmentally sustainable. For more information, visit our website and follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @NewVAMajority