There is a crucial election for Governor in November, that starts with the Republican Convention in May and the Democratic Primary in June. Before you vote, we want to highlight some powers and privileges of the Office of the Governor of Virginia in this week’s Civics Lesson.

The Virginia Governor is the head of the State Executive Branch and the term lasts for four years. While there is no lifetime term limit, the Governor cannot run for two terms in a row. The Governor introduces the state budget to the legislature and can send down legislation for the General Assembly to pass. The Governor also makes recommendations on other legislation during Session and then takes action on bills that pass at the conclusion. If you’ll remember, we discussed the four actions a Governor can take on bills during the 2021 Legislative Session (sign it, amend it, veto it, take no action).

The Governor also appoints administrative offices and citizen members to state boards and commissions. Finally, the Governor has the power to commute fines or sentences and issue pardons and restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated citizens. As you can see, the Office of the Governor is extremely important to the everyday lives of Virginians so be sure you are registered to vote tinyurl.com/VABVoterReg!

Find more at ballotpedia.org/Governor_of_Virginia