New Yorkers released from prison will have their voting rights restored after Governor Andrew Cuomo signed state Senator Leroy Comrie’s legislation into law Wednesday, May 5.
The new law is the latest is 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,” Comrie said. “We can no longer stand by and allow poverty to be criminalized. I commend my colleagues in government for helping us codify into law the access to vote for the formerly incarcerated. Across our nation, we see voting rights being restricted and as New Yorkers, we have to lead as that sends a signal to others on how we should be making the right to vote more accessible, more transparent and more available to all.”
The newly signed law amends election law to require the automatic restoration of voting rights upon an incarcerated individual’s release from prison. Under this new system, criminal defendants will be informed before conviction and sentencing to prison that they will lose their voting rights. Prior to the person who was incarcerated’s release, the Department of Corrections and Probation and Parole will assist with voter registration to ensure a smooth transition to civic participation, by providing a voter registration form as they leave the prison.
