If you have been incarcerated, then the day you get out of prison is a cause for celebration. You get to see your family again, catch up with old friends, eat your favorite foods, and look forward to the next chapter in your life. Even after you have finished your sentence, though, some consequences of your conviction continue to follow you around. For example, the record of your criminal conviction appears on criminal background checks, and it is against the law to buy a firearm if you have been convicted of a felony. Likewise, you lose the right to vote when you get a felony conviction. Each state has its own set of procedures by which voters can reinstate their voting rights after completing their sentences for felony convictions. To find out if you are able to re-register to vote, and for help reinstating your voting rights, contact a Clintwood criminal defense lawyer.
Not Every Interaction with the Criminal Court Costs You Your Voting Rights
Taking away a citizen’s right to vote is a very serious matter, and the government does not rescind this right unless the person has been convicted of a felony. This means that, just because you are currently behind bars or were in the past, it does not automatically mean that you cannot vote. For example, if you have been convicted of one or more misdemeanor offenses, you can still register to vote, even if you are currently in jail. Likewise, if you are in jail while awaiting trial for a misdemeanor or felony, you can still vote.
Restoring Your Right to Vote is Your Responsibility and the Governor’s Decision
When you get convicted of a felony, you automatically lose the right to vote. You become eligible to apply to reinstate your right to vote after you finish your sentence, whether it involves prison, probation, parole, home detention, or a combination thereof. To reinstate your voting rights, you must contact the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Ultimately, the governor has the final decision about restoring the voting rights of each voter who applies to have their rights restored after completing a sentence for a felony conviction.
Likewise, if the governor of Virginia issues a pardon for you, then you become eligible to re-register to vote as soon as you receive the pardon. Of course, applying for a pardon is a long process. All of this is to say that the easiest way to ensure that you keep the right to vote is by not being convicted of a felony at all. The best way to avoid a conviction if you have been accused of a felony is to work with a criminal defense lawyer who may be able to help you get the charges dropped or reduced to misdemeanor charges or secure an acquittal at trial.
Contact Greg Baker Attorneys at Law PLLC About Your Rights as a Defendant in a Criminal Case
The lawyers at Greg Baker Attorneys at Law PLLC can help you exercise your legal rights if you are being charged with a crime, or even if you have already been convicted. Contact Greg Baker Attorneys at Law PLLC in Clintwood, Virginia to set up a consultation.