Virginia Lawmaker Seeks Audit After Dog Receives Rights Certificate

A constituent of Virginia Del. Tom Garrett says he received an official certificate restoring rights to Biscuit, a beagle and hound mix from Goochland County who died about five years ago. Garrett, a Republican, is asking for an investigation into how the document was issued in the dog’s name.

The certificate concerns voting and jury-service rights. Biscuit’s owner, who has not been publicly identified, said the dog had never been convicted of a felony and had no contact with Richmond that could have put her on voting rolls. The owner described her as a much-missed pet.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s office rejected the suggestion that rights had been restored to a dog. A spokesperson said the record was linked to an individual whose birth date and Social Security number were on file, but did not provide further clarification after a follow-up inquiry.

Garrett said the administration had described its process as identifying people who lost their rights, checking eligibility and restoring those rights. Spanberger announced in August that 100,000 people had received restorations since she took office in January, up from an earlier figure of 66,000.

Garrett wants an independent audit, disclosure of the records associated with the certificate and an accounting of any other certificates issued to deceased, nonexistent or duplicate people. The dispute comes as Virginia voters prepare to decide whether restoration should become automatic upon release from incarceration.

Dog-Named Certificate Fuels GOP Attack on Virginia Rights Restorations

A certificate in the name of a deceased dog has become a Republican talking point against Virginia’s effort to restore voting rights to people who have completed their sentences. Del. Tom Garrett is demanding an investigation, even as the governor’s office says the record belongs to an individual whose identifying information is on file.

The case lands just before voters decide whether restoration should become automatic upon release from incarceration. The administration has said it identified eligible people and restored rights; Gov. Abigail Spanberger said in August that the total had reached 100,000 since she took office.

Biscuit’s owner says the beagle-hound mix died about five years ago and was never convicted of a felony. Spanberger’s spokesperson said the certificate was linked to an individual whose birth date and Social Security number were on file, while declining to disclose that individual’s information.

Garrett is calling for an independent audit and a review of possible errors. But the administration’s response underscores the distinction between a document carrying a pet’s name and a restoration actually granted to an animal. The broader fight is over whether eligible people should regain voting rights automatically or face an individualized process.

Biscuit Certificate Raises Questions About Virginia’s Rights Checks

A Virginia rights-restoration certificate bearing a dead dog’s name is raising a basic question for voters: how carefully is the state checking eligibility? Del. Tom Garrett says the case warrants an independent audit of Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s restoration process.

Biscuit’s owner says the beagle-hound mix died about five years ago and had never been convicted of a felony. The owner also said the dog had no contact with Richmond that could explain the certificate.

Spanberger’s office says the record is linked to an individual whose birth date and Social Security number are on file, not a dog. It declined to identify the individual, and a follow-up request for clarification received no response. That explanation has not resolved Garrett’s demand to know how the certificate came to bear Biscuit’s name.

The administration previously said it would identify people who lost their rights, confirm eligibility and restore them. Spanberger announced in August that 100,000 people had received restorations since she took office. With voters set to consider automatic restoration upon release from incarceration, the apparent mismatch puts the existing review safeguards under scrutiny. Garrett wants officials to disclose the underlying record and account for any other erroneous certificates.