2025 Regular Session
SB 643
Restoring voting rights for person incarcerated for felony upon release
In Committee
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Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House of Delegates
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill would restore the right for people who have been convicted of a felony to register and vote once they are released from prison. Currently, West Virginia law disqualifies individuals with felony convictions from voting while incarcerated and upon release. This legislation removes that restriction, allowing formerly incarcerated individuals to participate in the democratic process again.
Key provisions
- Automatically restores voting rights upon release from incarceration for felony convictions.
- Applies to both probation, parole, and supervised release periods.
- Does not affect eligibility for individuals declared mentally incompetent by a court.
- Addresses voting rights under both state and federal law.
- Specifically amends West Virginia Code §3-2-2 regarding voter eligibility.
Who is affected
- Formerly incarcerated individuals
- People convicted of felonies
- Registered voters in West Virginia
- Political organizations
- Election officials
Notable changes
- Removes the disqualification of voting rights upon release from incarceration.
- Aligns West Virginia law with broader efforts to restore voting rights for people with criminal records.
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