Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s effort to restore voting rights is under renewed scrutiny after a letter saying a woman’s rights had been restored was sent in her name, even though she remains in prison on a felony drug conviction.
Spanberger and Secretary of the Commonwealth Candi Mundon-King have already faced questions about other apparent mistakes. Previous letters went to a dog that had died years earlier, a sheriff’s office addressed to “Betty No Last Name,” and families of deceased people convicted of felonies.
A Virginia resident who asked not to be identified contacted Republican Del. Tom Garrett after receiving a restoration letter addressed to “Kayla Renae Vaughn,” according to a source familiar with the matter. The resident reportedly has no known connection to Vaughn.
The letter, images of which were provided by the Republican minority caucus in the Virginia House of Delegates, appears to match earlier restoration notices apart from the recipient’s name.
Vaughn is still incarcerated at Central Virginia Correctional Unit in Chesterfield County. She is serving a 40-year sentence, with 37 years suspended. State records show she was charged in Pearisburg in May 2023 with a second offense involving the manufacture or distribution of a Schedule I or II drug. She was sentenced in January 2025.
Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore called on Spanberger to explain how the letter was sent.
“Restoring the rights of the dead is a failure. Restoring the rights of a dog is an embarrassment,” Kilgore said, referring to earlier cases. He added that sending such a letter to someone still imprisoned for a felony would show “a new level of carelessness,” and said the governor owed Virginians answers.
Garrett did not respond to a request for comment. He has previously criticized the administration’s approach to restoring voting rights.
The letter, signed by Spanberger and Mundon-King, said the administration had completed a review of the details of Vaughn’s case.
Garrett has also cited a lawsuit brought by former Republican House Speaker Bill Howell, who challenged former Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s attempt to restore felons’ voting rights through a broad order. The Virginia Supreme Court ruled that such decisions had to be made individually. Garrett says that ruling is relevant to the current controversy.
“Look at the letters coming out of Governor Spanberger’s office,” Garrett said, noting that each says the administration reviewed the recipient’s individual case. He pointed to an earlier letter addressed to “Biscuit Rigsby,” a dog in his district.
“They know the rule. They’re just betting no one notices the gap between what the letters say and what actually happened,” Garrett said.
Spanberger and Mundon-King did not respond to requests for comment.
Spanberger has described the restoration effort as helping people who were convicted of felonies, served their sentences, returned home, and wanted to participate fully in democracy. That description does not fit Vaughn, who remains incarcerated.
A voting rights amendment approved by Virginia voters on Nov. 3 limits automatic restoration to people who have been released from incarceration. The amendment allows rights to be restored without an individual decision by the governor, but excludes people serving a felony sentence and those who do not understand the act of voting.
