Virginia Question 1, Actual Innocence Claims Amendment (2002)
| Virginia Question 1 | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic State judiciary |
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| Status |
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| Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment |
Origin |
Virginia Question 1 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Virginia on November 5, 2002. It was approved.
A “yes” vote supported giving the state Supreme Court original jurisdiction over claims from felons of actual innocence (when new scientific or DNA evidence that is discovered after the conviction is able to prove innocence). |
A “no” vote opposed giving the state Supreme Court original jurisdiction over claims from felons of actual innocence (when new scientific or DNA evidence that is discovered after the conviction is able to prove innocence). |
Election results
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Virginia Question 1 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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1,091,828 | 72.71% | ||
| No | 409,807 | 27.29% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Question 1 was as follows:
| “ | Shall the Constitution of Virginia be amended to permit the Supreme Court to consider, as part of its original jurisdiction, claims of actual innocence presented by convicted felons in the cases and manner provided by the General Assembly? | ” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Virginia Constitution
A simple majority vote is required during two successive legislative sessions for the Virginia General Assembly to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 51 votes in the Virginia House of Delegates and 21 votes in the Virginia State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
See also
External links
Footnotes
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State of Virginia Richmond (capital) |
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