THE PROBLEM: Under current New York law, individuals who are on parole are prohibited from voting. • There are about 30,000 people on parole at any given time in New York. • Both in New York, and across the country, the criminal disenfranchisement laws disproportionately impact people of color. • Nearly three-quarters of disenfranchised New Yorkers are Black or Latino. • One out of every 24 Black voters in New York is disenfranchised. This is no accident: as discussed in the 2010 Brennan Center report Jim Crow in New York, New York’s disenfranchisement policy is firmly rooted in historical racism, dating back to a 19th century statute. Additionally, New York law does allow individuals on probation to vote. There is no reason for this distinction between probation and parole—all citizens living in the community should be allowed to vote. The distinction has caused widespread confusion among formerly incarcerated people and election officials, leading to de facto disenfranchisement when individuals who are permitted to vote think that they are not. Recent experience registering voters with convictions reaffirms the findings of a 2006 Brennan Center survey that found that over a third of New York’s local boards of elections were unaware that New Yorkers on probation are eligible to vote. Governor Cuomo recently took a big step towards fixing this problem by using his pardon power to restore voting rights to thousands. But that process is an administrative burden, incomplete, and subject to change at the discretion of future governors. It is time to simplify the process by codifying the Governor’s order, and to remove the racist vestiges of Reconstruction and Jim Crow era policies. A SOLUTION: The RTVNY campaign seeks to #RestoreTheVote to all New Yorkers. RTVNY firmly believes that true democracy must include everyone. In keeping with this mission, RTVNY is fighting for the passage of S1931 to codify and improve upon the Governor’s actions. This bill will accomplish the following goals: • The right to vote will be granted to all New Yorkers who are currently on parole. • The Department of Corrections and Probation and Parole will be responsible for assisting with voluntary voter registration prior to an individual’s release from prison. • The State Board of Elections will be required to develop and implement a new outreach program to educate professionals such as lawyers, judges, election officials, corrections officials and the public about the new policy. • Criminal defendants will be informed: (1) before conviction and sentencing to prison, that they will lose their voting rights; and (2) upon release from prison, that they are again eligible to register and vote. The passage of these reforms in a state as large and diverse as New York would represent an important step forward in the fight for voting rights. New York has always led the way on issues of justice and equality, and it’s time we do so once again. WHO WE ARE: We are Formerly Incarcerated Persons, Concerned Community Members, the Faith Community, and Family Members Of Currently Incarcerated People. • National Action Network • Medgar Evers College Center for Law and • The Brennan Center for Justice Social Justice • VOCAL-NY • New York State Prisoner Justice Network • Let NY Vote • New York Campaign for Alternatives to • NYCLU Isolated Confinement • NAN Second Chance Committee • Parole Preparation Project • American Probation and Parole Association • Challenging Incarceration Coalition • College and Community Fellowships • New York Democratic Lawyers Committee • NAMI Huntington • Releasing Aging People in Prison • JustLeadership USA • Citizen Action NY LEGISLATIVE SPONSORS: Bill S1931: Sen. Leroy Comrie Lead Sponsor • Sen. Gustavo Rivera In Elections Committee • Sen. Brad Hoylman Co-Sponsors • Sen. James Sanders, Jr. • Sen. Brian Benjamin • Sen. Roxanne J. Persaud • Sen. Velmanette Montgomery • Sen. Luis R. Sepúlveda • Sen. Kevin S. Parker • Sen. Brian Kavanagh • Sen. Jamaal Bailey To get involved email: [email protected] or call 646-784-5347 #RTVNY A Coalition .