Virginia lawmaker claims a dog that died 5 years ago was granted voting rights by the state. Governor’s team blames a spreadsheet error

Del. Tom Garrett, a Republican representing Goochland, posted a Facebook video on Friday alleging that a beagle-hound mix named Biscuit received an official voting-rights restoration certificate from Governor Abigail Spanberger’s office. The dog, according to Garrett, died five years ago.

He said the document arrived just days before the midterm elections and included a QR code that could be scanned to request a mail-in ballot. Garrett has called for an investigation into how the certificate was issued.

Spanberger’s office reportedly rejected the idea that any animal had its rights restored. According to Mediaite, officials stated, “Of course we did not restore the rights of a dog. We cannot disclose this individual’s information, but we can tell you that it is associated with a person with a date of birth and Social Security number.”

Earlier reports of rights restorations sent to deceased and unidentified people

Roughly a month before the Biscuit claim surfaced, Garrett said he had alerted the governor that some deceased Virginians were receiving rights-restoration notices that also carried QR codes for mail-in ballots. He said she responded that she would look into the issue.

He later pointed to a separate case involving someone listed only as “Betty, no last name,” who he said also received a rights restoration and a QR code. Biscuit then received similar paperwork, according to the lawmaker. When a reporter asked the governor about the Betty case, she described it as a spreadsheet error tied to a mail merge, Garrett said. He noted that the account given for the dog appeared much the same.

In his press release, Garrett described Biscuit as a “good dog” and confirmed the animal was not a felon. The dog’s owner, who has asked not to be named out of concern for political reaction, told Fox News that the household did receive the rights-restoration letter. The owner said the dog had never been in a pound and had no dealings with Richmond officials. In an unrelated case, a California woman pleaded guilty after registering her dog to vote in two elections.

“To my knowledge, she was never convicted of a felony, nor did she ever show any interest in voting,” the owner said. These claims arrive as Virginia voters prepare to decide whether people with felony convictions should automatically regain the right to vote once they finish their sentences. Virginia voters also weighed in on redistricting that benefits Democrats.

In July, Spanberger announced that her administration had restored voting rights to more than 60,000 formerly incarcerated people.

She said at the time, “I’m proud that – after contending with my predecessor’s efforts to deny Virginians their fundamental rights – we have restored the rights of more than 66,000 Virginians who have served their time. These Virginians deserve the right to use their vote, make their voices heard, and be recognized as contributing citizens to our Commonwealth and country.”