Virginia Readmission Act Litigation
Protect Democracy has filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the Virginia Constitution’s broad felony disenfranchisement provision.
October 11, 2023
Counsel, Free & Fair Elections
JoAnna Suriani is an experienced litigator whose work focuses on protecting free and fair elections, expanding voting rights, and ensuring accountability for political violence. Before joining Protect Democracy, she worked as a litigation associate at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, where she represented companies and pro bono clients at the trial and appellate levels. JoAnna received a J.D. from NYU School of Law, a Master of Public Policy from the Maryland School of Public Policy, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland.
Protect Democracy has filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the Virginia Constitution’s broad felony disenfranchisement provision.
October 11, 2023
JoAnna Suriani, counsel at Protect Democracy and co-counsel in the San Marcos case, notes that the provision of the Ku Klux Act used to bring the lawsuit does not apply only to government actors. “It creates legal liability for any individual who is in the position to prevent the harms of election-related violence, but negligently or intentionally fails to do so,” she says.
Defeating authoritarianism is going to take all of us. Everyone and every institution has a role to play. Together, we can protect democracy.
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