Supreme Court Lets Virginia Felon Voting Ban Lawsuit Proceed

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Virginia's appeal to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the state's 1869 constitutional provision that permanently bans convicted felons from voting, one of the strictest such restrictions in the country. The lawsuit, supported by the ACLU and led by two Virginians disenfranchised due to felony convictions, argues that the ban violates the 1870 Virginia Readmission Act, which restored the state's congressional representation after the Civil War without disenfranchising Black voters. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares's appeal was rejected, allowing the lower court case to proceed. Virginia remains one of only three states enforcing a lifetime voting ban on felons unless their voting rights are restored by the government. The plaintiffs contend that the disenfranchisement should only apply to crimes considered felonies at common law in 1870, not modern convictions. This case highlights ongoing debates about voting rights and could have significant civil rights implications for those affected by felony disenfranchisement laws.