Mateo Gasparotto (ACLU) speaking:

Mr. Gasparotto, Investigator with the ACLU of Virginia, will dicuss the issue of voting rights for incarcerated non-felons at our meeting on March 7. His approach may focus on the legal path, consisting of finding a plaintiff with standing, possibly identifying data to demonstrate the scope of the problem, and pursuing a legal suit.

The Committee has been exploring the voting needs of incarcerated individuals who are either serving sentences for misdemeanors or are incarcerated while awaiting trial. Their information about and access to absentee voting is impaired just by the fact of incarceration, but these are persons who otherwise are eligible to vote, don’t have access to the absentee ballot.

The Committee will have Senator Rosalyn Dance (VA Senate District 16) speaking at our April 4th meeting, pehaps joined by Delegate Lashrecse Aird (VA House District 63), to discuss not only the 2019 General Assembly Session, but also some legislative approaches that might assist in getting better absentee voting rights for non-felons faster than can be accomplished through the court process. Tammie Miller Jennings and others have already been exploring this topic with General Assembly members.

While we don’t know the numerical scope, we know it is likely a statewide issue.

Plan on joining the discussion on Thursday night at 6 pm at the Prince George Human Services Building, 6450 Admnistration Drive, Prince George Government Complex.

Other updates:

• report (written) on 4th Congressional District Committee
• Invitation to attend 4th CD Committee Meeting April 13 @ Virgina Diner, Wakefield, at 11:30 am
• Report from the Voter Analysis Committee
• Updated March Events provided by Supervisor Floyd Brown, Jr., below

Authorized by the Prince George Democratic Committee