Virginia’s rights-restoration program sent paperwork to a family’s deceased dog, raising hard questions about election record checks.
Story Snapshot
- A document naming “Biscuit Rigsby” as a felon with restored rights reached a Virginia family’s mailbox.
- State Delegate Tom Garrett demanded an investigation into how a dead dog appeared in the workflow.
- Governor’s office says the record ties to a person with a birth date and Social Security number, not a pet.
- Virginia law requires prompt removal of deceased voters and retention of cancellation records.
What Arrived In The Mail And Why It Matters
WRIC reported that a Virginia family received official voting-rights paperwork addressed to “Biscuit Rigsby,” described on the document as a previously convicted felon whose rights were restored. The paper went to the family’s home, where Biscuit, a dog, had died years ago. The case matters because the administration said its process proactively identifies eligible people and confirms each case before restoration. If a pet’s name surfaced on an official notice, the checks did not fully prevent a mismatch.
Fox News reported that State Delegate Tom Garrett received the family’s letter and called for an investigation into how a deceased animal appeared in a rights-restoration workflow. Garrett cited the administration’s July claim that it was confirming eligibility before restoring rights, which makes the anomaly more serious if based on state data matches. The governor’s office has said it restored rights to tens of thousands this year, which raises stakes for even rare errors.
What State Officials Say About The Anomaly
The governor’s spokesperson denied restoring a dog’s rights and said the record is associated with a person who has a date of birth and a Social Security number. That claim suggests a human identity behind the file and points to a naming or address link, not a literal canine record. However, the office did not release the underlying file, citing privacy. That limits outside verification and leaves only the document image and official statements for now.
Officials also stressed that restoring civil rights is not the same as voter registration. WTVR reported the administration said the person tied to the record is not registered to vote and that casting a ballot for a deceased person is a felony. Those statements show legal guardrails exist after restoration. They do not, however, answer how “Biscuit Rigsby” appeared on a formal notice or whether review steps flagged the mismatch before mailing.
The Law, The Safeguards, And The Open Questions
Virginia law requires registrars to remove deceased voters and to keep a record of any cancellation and the reason, for at least four years. The state’s list maintenance rules also instruct local officials on death data handling and record hygiene. These safeguards reduce the chance a dead person remains on the rolls. But they do not fully explain a rights-restoration notice with a pet’s name, which flows from a different process than ongoing voter list maintenance.
#TheMoreYouKnow!
Virginia Family Receives Voting Paperwork for Their Dead Dog 'Biscuit' Due to Spanberger Voting Rights 'Restoration' Program https://t.co/wz4aoOkshC— G. Gallman (@ggallman) October 31, 2026
The administration reported restoring rights to over 66,000 Virginians by late July and 100,000 by August, combining proactive identification with case reviews. High volume can produce outliers, yet the government’s own description promises thorough checks. Reasonable steps now include releasing non-sensitive audit details: what database produced the match, which fields were used, and whether a human review cleared the notice. Until those answers arrive, election integrity advocates will press for a documented fix and a full audit trail.
Sources:
thegatewaypundit.com, governor.virginia.gov, law.lis.virginia.gov, foxnews.com, wtvr.com, elections.es.virginia.gov
