Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA) Chairwoman Susan Swecker released the following statement on Governor McAuliffe's action to restore the voting rights of more than 200,000 Virginians:
"Today will be remembered as a profound and historic day in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Governor McAuliffe's action is an enormous step towards mitigating the effects of archaic Civil War-era barriers to the polls. Hundreds of thousands of Virginians will finally have an opportunity to exercise the most fundamental right we have as Americans.
"Unfortunately, it's abundantly clear that Republicans in Virginia remain steadfast in their troubling efforts to disenfranchise African American and minority voters. If someone has served their time and has rejoined their community, they deserve to participate in our Democracy."