McAuliffe restores voting rights for 206K ex-felons; GOP calls it move to boost Clinton

Gov. Terry McAuliffe today signed an order restoring the voting rights of 206,000 ex-felons, a sweeping action the governor said was aimed at rectifying Virginia's "long and sad history" of suppressing African-American voting power. Coming in a presidential election year, a swift backlash ensued as Republicans accused McAuliffe of abusing his executive power to help longtime ally Hillary Clinton win a battleground state by putting more likely Democratic voters on the books. The governor's order applies to all violent and nonviolent felons who have completed all phases of their sentences and supervised release as of Friday - even those who have not applied for a restoration of rights - a departure from past policies in which governors restored rights on an individual basis. Richmond.com