Thousands of Virginians will regain the right to vote next month after a court ruling found that the restoration process had violated a Civil War-era law. The ruling allows ex-offenders to cast a ballot in congressional elections and vote on an amendment to enhance voting protections for other ex-offsenders. A federal court ruled that Virginia’s current disenfranchisement of anyone with felony convictions violates laws that required former Confederate states to guarantee voting rights for newly-emancipated Black residents. The court had originally given state officials a May 1 deadline to ensure many of today's crimes don't strip voting rights. A new filing by Tati Abu King's lawyers and the Office of Attorney General Jay Jones grants an extension to June 1. The legal back and forth represents a multi-year effort to ensure people who have served time can participate in the democratic process again.