On August 22, 2016 Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced new plans for restoration of rights for returning citizens after the Virginia Supreme Court overturned his Executive Order of April 22nd.

Virginia election officials have set a deadline of Aug. 8 to cancel voting rights of felons who had registered under mass gubernatorial orders that were overturned a week ago by the Supreme Court of Virginia.

THE VIRGINIA SUPREME Court sided this month with Republican lawmakers and upheld felony disenfranchisement laws, delivering a devastating blow to Virginia’s democratic process and to more than 200,000 potential voters who have earned the right to participate in the electoral process.

Virginia is one of four states whose constitution permanently disenfranchises citizens with past felony convictions, but grants the state’s governor the authority to restore voting rights. This April, Gov. Terry McAuliffe used that authority to re-enfranchise over 200,000 Virginians. This executive order is now the subject of two lawsuits, one of which is pending before the state’s Supreme Court.