For Immediate Release
June 20, 2022
Today Governor Kathy Hochul signed the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York into law. The legislation restores many of the legal protections against racial discrimination that the U.S. Supreme Court has taken away from voters of color.
Sean Morales-Doyle, acting director in the Voting Rights Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, had the following comment:
“As of today’s signing, New York has the country’s strongest protections against racial discrimination in voting. At a moment of crisis for voting rights in the United States, New York has emerged as a national leader.
“For too long, New Yorkers have faced discriminatory voting rules and practices across the state. No more. The John R. Lewis Voting Right Act of New York will help ensure that all voters across the state have the same access to the ballot.
“This law restores and strengthens vital protections for New York voters that have been stripped away by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions gutting the Voting Rights Act of 1965. And it honors the legacy of the great Representative John R. Lewis, who worked so hard and sacrificed so much to bring that landmark law into effect.
“With American democracy under relentless assault, and federal voting legislation stalled, Senator Zellnor Myrie, Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, and Governor Hochul deserve credit for seizing the initiative. Today, New York has taken a huge step toward becoming the modern, inclusive, multiracial democracy its people deserve.”
