In the US swing state of Virginia, more than 200,000 felons are eligible to sign up to vote after the Governor used his executive powers to change the law.

Most American states restrict felons' rights to vote, but Virginia was one of 12 that stopped them from voting for life — even if their sentence was over.

"I've never voted before in my life," Robert Randolph, who has just enrolled to vote at age 50, said.

Having spent five years in jail for drug dealing, he now earns an honest living as a barber.

Although he has been out of prison since 1998, he has never been able to have his say at an election.

Mr Randolph said his newfound rights brought him to tears.

"I never thought my voice meant anything. But it does," he said.

"One vote, my vote, can change a whole lot of things."

Politics 'played a part in decision'

The change has potential to affect the result in this year's presidential election, with Republican opponents arguing Democrat Governor Terry McAuliffe has overreached his executive powers to help get Hillary Clinton elected.

Roger Clegg, from the conservative Centre for Equal Opportunity, said politics played a part in the decision which may now face a legal challenge.

"I think that politics is an important part of what happened here, Governor McAuliffe is very close to the Clintons," he said.

"Virginia is an important state in the election, it's likely to be a very close state."

Six million felons banned from voting

There are almost 6 million felons across America who are prevented from voting.

About 2.2 million of them are African-Americans, who are drastically over-represented in the country's jails.

That has extended a long history of restricting African-American participation in democracy.

Marc Mauer from the non-profit advocacy organisation The Sentencing Project says that is affecting political results.

"I think felon disenfranchisement raises fundamental questions of democracy but at the scale of disenfranchisement today, nearly 6 million people who can't vote, it's likely to be having some very practical outcomes in elections," Mr Mauer said.

He cites the 2000 presidential poll, which came down to just a few hundred votes in Florida.

"On the day of the election there were 600,000 ex-felons who weren't able to vote in that state," he said.

"And, had they been able to vote, we don't know how many would have voted or who they would have voted for.

"But clearly, we may have decided a national election based on this policy."

African-Americans more likely to vote Democrat

In Virginia, one in five black adults were unable to vote until now, and it is true to say African-Americans are more likely to vote for the Democrats than the Republicans.

Local progressive group the New Virginia Majority is actively signing up ex-felons who now have their rights back.

Organiser Karen Fountain is passionate about getting people to enrol.

"African-Americans, we hold a large population, if they can shut that down that means less people, [less] African-Americans will get to vote — but not on my shift!" she said.

Mr Randolph said he has not yet decided who he is going to vote for at the presidential election in November.

"I can't tell you that, that'd be spilling the beans," he said.

But he is giving it some serious thought.

"I'm taking it slow and I'm taking initiative and I'm voting for the person who deserves to be there," Mr Randolph said.