which is that Virginia has some of the harshest felony disenfranchisement laws in the nation. You have to not only serve your whole sentence (including supervised release), but also apply to the Governor for restoration of rights. A lot of people don't bother to apply. The people serving on the state central committee of the party have to be registered voters. But, maybe there are some misdemeanor sex offenders out there. Another problem is that a lot of sex offenders want to stay under the radar as much as they can (even though they've already been outed via the registry) rather than putting themselves out there by organizing a party. If they organize, then they're pretty much admitting that they're unrepentant. It calls into question the sincerity of their accepting Jesus and giving their life to Him. |