In addition to being able to vote, the rights include the right to serve on a jury, run for office and become a public notary. “Too many of our laws were written during a time of open racism and discrimination, and they still bear the traces of inequity,” Northam said in a statement. “If we want people to return to our communities and participate in society, we must welcome them back fully — and this policy does just that,” he said. Under the state constitution, the governor can restore civil rights to former felons. If the constitutional amendment is approved, the restoration of rights will become automatic when a felon is released from prison.