What to Know Before November
Every year, we mark Women’s Equality Day, the anniversary of the 19th Amendment, when women’s right to vote was formally recognized. It’s easy to treat that date like a closed chapter, something settled a hundred years ago. For a lot of the women who’ve walked through our doors, it isn’t closed at all.
If you’ve been convicted of a felony in Virginia, you already know voting doesn’t come back automatically the day you walk out. What you might not know is how much changed this year — and it might change what’s true for you, specifically.
What’s different now
Virginia used to be one of the strictest states in the country on this: a felony conviction meant losing your right to vote permanently, unless the governor personally restored it. A federal court ruling this past January narrowed that. Now, unless your conviction falls on a specific, older list of offenses, your voting rights come back on their own once you’re released — no application, no waiting.
If your conviction is on that older list, you still have to apply. But even that path has opened up. Since taking office in January, Governor Spanberger has restored voting rights to more than 66,000 Virginians, reversing a slower, more restrictive process the state had been using.
How to actually find out where you stand
Don’t guess, and don’t take someone’s word for it secondhand — you can check for free, directly:
- Go to restore.virginia.gov to check your status or submit a restoration request.
- Call Revive My Vote at 844-932-8683. It’s a free, confidential service run through William & Mary Law School, built specifically to help Virginians through this process. No cost, no judgment.
- Ask your case manager. If you’re not sure which category your conviction falls under, that’s exactly what these resources exist to sort out. You don’t have to figure this out alone. Did you graduate years ago? That’s ok; call the front desk, and we’ll connect you with someone who can help you figure it out.
One more thing on the horizon
This November, Virginia voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would make rights restoration automatic for everyone right at release — no application required, for anyone, ever again. It hasn’t passed yet. We’re not going to tell you how to feel about it. We just want you to know it’s on the ballot, because it’s your future being decided.
Why we’re telling you this now
Women’s Equality Day tends to get talked about like history. For many of our residents and alumnae, it’s closer to a live question and one that may already have a different answer than it did a year ago.
Guest House exists because we believe a woman’s past doesn’t define her future. That includes the parts of her future she gets to vote on.
Resources for you:
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-rights-restoration-efforts-virginia
Photo by Jennifer Burk on Unsplash