FELON DISENFRANCHISEMENT — SCOPE OF GOVERNOR’S CLEMENCY POWER — SUPREME COURT OF VIRGINIA HOLDS THAT EXECUTIVE ORDER RESTORING VOTING RIGHTS EN MASSE IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

The article discusses the Supreme Court of Virginia's determination in the 2016 case Howell v. McAuliffe that Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe's executive order restoring voting rights en masse to close to 206,000 Virginians is unconstitutional since a Governor's restoration (clemency) power is intended to be utilized on a case-by-case basis. Felon disenfranchisement is addressed, along with writs of mandamus and a petition signed by Virginia state legislator William Howell.