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Governor Cuomo Signs NYS Senator Leroy Comrie/O’Donnell Pass Bill Restoring the Vote to People on Parole
This new law confirms New York’s standing as leader in voting rights just as state legislatures across the country restrict access to the ballot box
NEW YORK—Today, Governor Cuomo signed legislation (S830/A4448) sponsored by Senator Leroy Comrie and Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell that will automatically restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated individuals convicted of a felony. The new law is the latest in a series of steps that New York has taken to change its antiquated voting laws, which just a few years ago were among the most restrictive in the country.
“Felony disenfranchisement is a relic of Jim Crow America, so there is no need to wonder why it disproportionately impacts people of color and the poor.” said NYS Senator Leroy Comrie. “We can no longer stand by and allow poverty to be criminalized. I commend my colleagues in government for helping us to codify into law the access to vote for the formerly incarcerated.
