A Matter of Simple Justice - Go Governor Kaine!

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Governor Tim Kaine does his part to get out the vote in Virginia.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Editorial: A matter of simple justice
If politics are a factor in the governor's efforts to restore nonviolent offenders' voting rights, they are far from the most important factor.

Some state Republican lawmakers are griping about Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine's efforts to restore felons' voting rights in time for them to register for the November election.

The Republicans have no beef.

Kaine is bringing greater fairness to an unduly harsh system in Virginia that strips felons of many citizenship rights. The governor can restore the most basic of these, the right to vote -- after a felon has served his time and kept his record clean for several years.

But ex-convicts must apply. Many don't know they can.

Kaine pledged earlier this year to deal quickly with applications from nonviolent felons who submit their petitions by Aug. 1. Now, The Washington Post reports, a coalition of social justice and civil rights groups has started a public information campaign to inform convicts about the process and urge them to apply.
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