Federal judge upholds ruling that certain ex-felons should not automatically lose voting rights

By: Charlotte Rene Woods

Outlets: Virginia Mercury

Published: March 11, 2026

Words: 503

Last Updated: 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Body Text Preview

On Monday, a federal court reaffirmed a January ruling that found that Virginia’s current practice of disenfranchising all people with felony convictions violates post-Civil War laws that required former Confederate states to guarantee voting rights for newly emancipated Black residents.

The series of laws, called the Readmission Acts, also barred states from constitutionally disenfranchising people other than those convicted of crimes that were considered common law at the time. Under current law, all …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

About

FAQ

Email Us