RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Virginians have voted to amend the state’s constitution to allow people with felony convictions to have their civic rights restored automatically following their release from prison. 56% of voters said "yes" to Question 3 on the ballot, ending Virginia's lifetime ban f or felony offenders. "I don't think words can describe the feeling of this victory," said Tram Nguyen, co-executive director of the New Virginia Majority. Nguyen said the advocacy organization has been championing voting rights for all eligible Virginians for nearly two decades. "Every single one of the people that you talk to that are impacted by this will tell you how meaningful this is, and how meaningful having a say in the decisions that impact our lives is," Nguyen said. Joseph Prater understands firsthand what it's like to lose the right to vote, after being incarcerated for more than 32 years.  "I'm rehabilitated, I'm a productive member of society now, I have a nonprofit, I have a job, I have an LLC. So I was like, well, why can't I vote?" Prater said, reflecting on how he felt after his release in April 2025. Prater is one of 66,000 people who recently had their voting rights restored by Governor Abigail Spanberger. He said this allowed him to cast his ballot for the first time on Election Day. "It felt like, okay, I'm back now. You know, I'm completely back," he said. However, the passage of this amendment means people with felony convictions no longer need the governor to restore their rights. Nguyen said the process to be pardoned by a governor has been inconsistent across gubernatorial administrations.  "Each administration had a different process in terms of trying to get your right to vote back," she said. "It has it has spanned from having to fill out a 13 page application to having it more streamlined." Nguyen said this amendment gives people a clear path to participate in democracy after incarceration.  "I think it's really meaningful for folks to know that their political rights, [and] their civil rights don't depend on a single individual," she said. Prater said he's excited for more people to have an opportunity to participate in democracy. "Being able to vote is going to make them feel as though, well, I'm really a part of society again," he said. All three amendments passed by voters are set to take effect on January 1, 2027. ...read more read less