Virginia Governor's Office Sends Voting Rights Letters to Deceased Individuals

Voting rights restoration letters issued by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger's administration have reportedly been sent to deceased individuals with felony convictions. This development has sparked concerns about the thoroughness of the vetting process for restoring civil rights.

Virginia Beach attorney Tim Anderson shared correspondence appearing to show letters from Spanberger and her administration addressed to the families of deceased recipients. Anderson suggested this indicates either a lack of vetting or insufficient review by the governor's office to confirm the eligibility of those receiving the notifications.

"The order specifically says that they've reviewed [each] case individually, right?" Anderson stated, referencing language within the letters. He raised concerns that if notifications are not properly screened, an unscrupulous relative might attempt to register a deceased individual to vote. "These dead people clearly aren't petitioning the governor to get their civil liberties back... they're restoring every single felon's civil disabilities without anybody even asking. And that's concerning, especially when they're dead."

One Virginia resident, Howard "Skip" Lambert, posted a restoration notice dated July 1, signed by Spanberger, and a subsequent notification dated Aug. 31 from her administration. Lambert stated the recipient was his daughter, who died in 2024 and had a felony conviction. He expressed frustration that the letter arrived shortly before early voting began, noting it was dated July 1. Lambert questioned the timing and the process, stating, "Just because cash doesn't change hands doesn't mean the governor isn't trying to buy votes."

Another individual, Peggie Young, posted similar documents addressed to a deceased friend, Peter Breton, raising further questions about potential voter fraud. She noted receiving the letter in late September.

The restoration letters come amid broader changes to Virginia's felony disenfranchisement laws. A federal court ruling in January, stemming from the case King v. Youngkin, narrowed the scope of felony convictions that can trigger disenfranchisement. U.S. District Judge John Gibney Jr. ruled that Virginia could only disenfranchise individuals for 11 common-law felonies recognized in 1870. Following this ruling, automatic disenfranchisement in Virginia has been limited to murder and voluntary manslaughter.

Separately, the Department of Elections is notifying approximately 235,000 Virginians whose convictions no longer disqualify them from voting, a process distinct from the governor's office's restoration orders. These court-driven notices are separate from the Spanberger restoration letters received by Lambert and Young, which indicate that the governor's office reviewed each recipient's case individually before restoring civil rights.