Spanberger voting-rights letters sent to dead felons amid ballot access push

Deceased Virginians with felony convictions are receiving voting rights restoration letters from the office of Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who announced in July that she had restored rights to 66,000 individuals. The notices have drawn scrutiny as Virginia implements a federal court ruling that narrowed felony disenfranchisement and voters prepare to decide on a constitutional amendment for automatic restoration. Virginia Beach attorney Tim Anderson, a lawyer for 27 years, told Fox News Digital that the situation suggests either a lack of vetting or insufficient thoroughness in the administration's review process. Anderson noted that under previous law, convicted felons had to petition the governor to regain civil rights, yet these letters indicate rights are being restored without individual petitions from the recipients.

Howard Lambert, a Virginia resident, shared documents showing a July 1 restoration notice signed by Spanberger and an Aug. 31 notification from her administration addressed to his late daughter, who died in 2024. Lambert confirmed his daughter had a felony conviction and expressed concern that the timing coincides with the start of early voting. He questioned whether the administration is attempting to influence the electorate, noting that the official order was dated July 1 despite the later mailing. The letter stated that Spanberger's office completed a review of the individual's case before restoring civil rights, including the right to vote and serve on a jury, while excluding the ability to possess firearms.

Another recipient, Peggie Young, received similar documents addressed to her late friend, Peter Breton. Young stated she received the letter on Sept. 29 and expressed confusion over how voting fraud might begin with such notifications. The federal case King v. Youngkin began in 2023 when disenfranchised Virginians sued state officials, arguing that Virginia's blanket felony ban violated the federal Virginia Readmission Act of 1870. U.S. District Judge John Gibney Jr. ruled in January that the state could only disenfranchise individuals for 11 common-law felonies recognized in 1870. After rejecting efforts to map those offenses to modern crimes, Virginia limited automatic voting bans to murder and both forms of manslaughter.

The Department of Elections is separately notifying approximately 235,000 Virginians whose convictions no longer disqualify them from voting under the new court-driven rules. These notices are distinct from the Spanberger restoration orders, which claim individual case reviews. Former Democratic Gov. Terence McAuliffe previously attempted a mass restoration around the time of the 2016 election but was rebuked by the Virginia Supreme Court, which ruled he lacked authority to affect an estimated 206,000 residents. Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger's office and ELECT for comment.