Delegate Jay Jones '10, speaks October 29, on VA’s Voter Rights Revolution
Norfolk Delegate Jerrauld (Jay) Jones, the Fall 2020 Baxter/Ward Fellow in Government at William & Mary, will present a virtual public lecture on “Inside Virginia’s Voter Rights Revolution: How the General Assembly Increased Access to the Ballot.”
The free event is on October 29, 7 – 8:30 pm, and is open to the university community and the public. Register for this lecture now.
In this year’s General Assembly session, the legislature approved a number of changes in election laws designed to make the right to vote more accessible. Among the changes are “no-excuse required” absentee and mail balloting, making Election Day a state holiday, and expanding the number of days for early in-person voting.
Jay Jones, a 2010 graduate of W&M earned a B.A. in Government and History. After two years of work at Goldman Sachs in New York, he enrolled in the UVA School of Law, where he earned his J.D. in 2015. He was elected to the House of Delegates from the 89th District in 2017 and re-elected without opposition in 2019. He serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. He has announced his candidacy for the office of Attorney General in 2021.
Delegate Jones garnered national attention with a floor speech he delivered in the House in February, 2019, in which he described in powerful personal detail the experience of growing up and living as a Black man in Virginia.
The Baxter/Ward Fellowship recognizes alumni of the Department of Government who have achieved significant recognition since their graduation. Fellows are invited to speak to classes and small groups of students, as well as delivering a public talk. Fellows have been selected for the honor in the early, middle and later stages of their careers to offer students a variety of examples of accomplishments.
The Baxter/Ward Fellowship was endowed on the retirements of Professors Donald J. Baxter and Alan J. Ward, two highly valued members of the Government Department who continue to maintain involvement with the Department, and often attend the public lecture. The endowment allows the Department of Government to select a fellow each semester.
