‘Biscuit Rigsby’: Dog’s name raises questions about Virginia’s rights restoration process

RICHMOND, Va. — New questions are being raised about Virginia’s process for restoring voting rights after official documents appeared to restore civil rights in the name of a dog that died five years ago.

Del. Tom Garrett is calling for an investigation after he said a Goochland constituent received official documents restoring civil rights in the name of his deceased dog, “Biscuit Rigsby.”

Documents provided to CBS 6 appear to list “Biscuit Rigsby” as someone who had been convicted of a crime and later had certain civil rights restored.

However, Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s office said the state did not restore the rights of a dog. Instead, the governor’s office said the record is connected to a living person with a date of birth and Social Security number.

When CBS 6 asked Spanberger about the discrepancy, she defended the state’s process.

“Every person whose votes we have restored have been linked to a person with a proper name, a Social Security number, and a date of birth,” Spanberger said.

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The incident follows another recent controversy involving a restoration document issued under the name “Betty No Last Name.”

Spanberger said that case was caused by a spreadsheet error in September in which a person’s last name was entered in the middle-name field.

“There was a circumstance where there was one that went out with no last name,” Spanberger said. “In that case, we’ve run down the source of the issue, which is the last name was put in the spreadsheet as the middle name, mail merge, no last name was listed.”

With another questionable name now appearing on official documents, the accuracy of Virginia’s rights restoration process is again facing scrutiny.

Spanberger said the state cross-references information with Virginia State Police and Department of Corrections records as part of its review process.

The governor also emphasized that having civil rights restored does not automatically register someone to vote.

“And so, it is a thorough process,” Spanberger said. “And importantly, the restoration of rights is not the same thing as then someone taking the next step, which would be an individual who has had their rights restored needs to go about the process of actually then registering to vote and then ultimately choosing to cast a ballot.”

The questions come just two days before Virginians head to the polls Tuesday, when voters will decide Question 3, which would make the restoration of voting rights automatic upon release from incarceration.

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