Governor Spanberger Celebrates Anniversary of Voting Rights Act in Norfolk

NORFOLK, VA - Governor Abigail Spanberger today joined Virginians in Norfolk to celebrate the 61st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and the 60th anniversary of Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections - the 1966 Supreme Court decision ruling poll taxes unconstitutional.

At the Academy of International Studies at Rosemont, Governor Spanberger signed a series of bills to strengthen voting rights, improve voter protections, and make elections more secure. The Governor was joined by U.S. Congressman Bobby Scott, state leaders, and author and historian Charlene Butts Ligon - the daughter of Evelyn Thomas Butts, the longtime Norfolk civil rights leader who led the effort to overturn Virginia's poll tax and served as a key plaintiff in Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections.

"Sixty-one years ago today, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law," said Governor Abigail Spanberger. "It was the culmination of heroic activism across the American South - marches, sit-ins, civil disobedience - by people who believed, against all evidence at the time, that this country could be made to live up to the promises of its founding documents."

Governor Spanberger continued, "Virginia was not always on the right side of that history - but thankfully, Virginia's history did not end there. In the decades since the Voting Rights Act became law, Virginia has made remarkable strides. Our democracy is strongest when every eligible citizen can participate - and I'm proud that the bills I signed today reflect that. Thank you to all the state and local leaders here today - particularly Senator Locke and Delegate Price - for your tremendous leadership in making sure all Virginia voters can access the ballot box. And thank you to Congressman Scott for continuing to stand up to the attacks on voting rights coming out of Washington."

"It's good to be here in Norfolk, the home of Evelyn Thomas Butts, who was a fighter for voting rights and civil rights," said U.S. Congressman Bobby Scott. "We also celebrate what happens when we do exercise the right to vote, because together, the elected officials here today are protecting that right. We have a long list of bills, and they're showing that time and time again they've identified problems and they're fixing them. Unlike what's going on in Washington, we have a government in Virginia that is taking action to protect voting rights, not threaten to roll back our freedoms."

"Thank you for allowing me to share this historic moment with you. This is especially meaningful that we are gathered here in Norfolk, a city with an important place in Virginia's long struggle for voting rights," said Charlene Butts Ligon. "My mother fought the poll tax because she understood that democracy fails when eligible citizens are prohibited from participating. She also understood that winning a legal victory was not enough. After the court case, she continued registering, educating, and organizing voters. That responsibility now belongs to us."

"As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, the promise of an inclusive democracy remains unfulfilled," said Senator Mamie Locke. "Enemies of democracy are running the same tired playbook. But there is good news - at every moment when progress has been rolled back from the end of Reconstruction to the era of Jim Crow, Black Americans and our allies have organized, mobilized, and demanded that this nation live up to its ideals. Thank you, Governor Spanberger, for being here today and also resuming the restoration of rights process that was practically nil under the previous administration."

"Today, we are gathered here to honor the legacy of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 - this landmark achievement born from the courage, sacrifice, and unwavering determination of Black Americans who committed to making sure our nation lived up to this promise of equal citizenship," said Senator Aaron Rouse. "The right to vote was not freely given; it was secured by ordinary people in the face of intimidation and violence, and those who even gave their lives for the future generations to participate fully in our democracy. We remember their sacrifice and honor the movement that transformed the voice and power of American history."

"We pause to recognize the leadership of individuals who are dedicated to the hard work of protecting our democracy. We inherit the legacy of Evelyn Butts, Barbara Johns, Dorothy Rose, and Senator Yvonne Miller - women who saw wrong and fought to make it right for everyone, whether it be in the classroom, courtroom, or committee room," said Delegate Cia Price. "With all that has brought us here to today, we can't leave tomorrow up to chance. So, as we celebrate these protections signed into law by Governor Spanberger, we will also continue fighting for the rights of all Virginia voters to access the ballot box."

Governor Spanberger signed the following bills to protect voting rights, improve voter protections, and make elections more secure:

• HB967 (Delegate Cia Price) - Strengthening legal standards against voter suppression and extending protections to more Virginia communities.

• HB1244 (Delegate Bonita Anthony) - Ensuring that Virginians facing hospitalization, illness, or emergency can still cast their ballot.

• HB319 (Delegate Phil Hernandez), SB658 (Senator Aaron Rouse) - Beginning the work of making voter registration automatic through the DMV, modernizing how the state delivers services that actually serve people more effectively.

• HB972 (Delegate Cia Price) - Strengthening the accuracy and integrity of Virginia's voter rolls.

• HB773 (Delegate Virgil Thornton) - Extending the cure process for absentee ballots, giving voters more time to correct mistakes.

• HB774 (Delegate Virgil Thornton) - Extending the cure process for provisional ballots, giving voters more time to correct mistakes.

• HB964 (Delegate Cia Price), SB162 (Senator Mamie Locke) - Laying the groundwork for the constitutional amendment Virginians will vote on this November, so that returning citizens can automatically reclaim their place in our democracy.

• HB215 (Delegate Rozia Henson) - Codifying Virginia's membership in ERIC - the bipartisan Electronic Registration Information Center, ensuring accurate, secure voter rolls.

• HB78 (Delegate Cia Price) - Requiring election certification by local electoral boards - making clear that certifying election results is a legal duty, not a political choice, and that no local board can refuse to do its job.

BACKGROUND

Last week, Governor Spanberger announced that since taking office in January, her Administration has restored the right to vote for more than 66,000 Virginians who were formerly incarcerated. Virginia is one of three states with a constitution that permanently disenfranchises citizens with past felony convictions - leaving restoration of rights entirely to the Governor's discretion. The Secretary of the Commonwealth's Office is working to proactively identify Virginians who lost their right to vote, confirm that these Virginians are eligible, and restore their rights.

This fall, Virginians will have the opportunity to vote in a referendum on a constitutional amendment that would allow Virginians convicted of felonies to automatically regain their voting rights upon their release from incarceration.

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