Racial bias and discrimination continue to undermine democracy in the Empire State.
Related to: Voting Rights, State Advocacy
[Washington, DC]- Over 33,000 New Yorkers will be excluded from voting in the June 23rd primary election due to imprisonment for a felony conviction. While people incarcerated for felony convictions are legally disenfranchised under current New York law, many people detained in local jails remain eligible to vote but lack meaningful access to the ballot. Together, these barriers prevent tens of thousands of New Yorkers from fully participating in the democratic process.
New York’s voting ban illuminates a significant racial injustice issue in the Empire State as thousands of Black and Brown residents face persistent racial bias and discrimination in the state’s criminal legal system. According to The Sentencing Project, Black New Yorkers are imprisoned at a rate over 8.5 times that of White New Yorkers, while the imprisonment rate of Latino residents is almost three times that of white residents.
“Due to the disproportionate incarceration rates of Black and Latino New Yorkers, extending voting rights to people detained in jail is crucial to addressing longstanding racial inequity in the Empire State” said Bob Libal, Senior Campaign Strategist at The Sentencing Project. “In New York City, 84% of the more than 6,600 people incarcerated at Rikers are detained pre-trial and 93% of people in detention are people of color. These figures are not hyperbolic but a true reflection of the work that still needs to be done to make sure communities of color are not locked out of democracy.”
Rights restoration is not just a democratic right but a public safety issue. Research shows that civic participation can strengthen ties to one’s community and that voting is related to a reduction in recidivism rates. Furthermore, eliminating ballot access does not make New York safer but prevents justice-impacted citizens from being wholly connected to their communities.
“Every eligible New Yorker should be able to cast a ballot, whether they live at home, in a nursing facility, or are held in a local jail. The Democracy During Detention Act would create a secure and workable process for voter registration, absentee ballot access, and facility-based voting so that eligible voters in detention are not shut out of the elections that shape their communities,” said Clyanna Lightbourn, Campaign Director at League of Women Voters of New York State.
To fulfill its obligations under its own constitution, ensuring that “no member of this state shall be disfranchised, or deprived of any of the rights or privileges secured to any citizen thereof,” New York should join Maine, Vermont, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC in guaranteeing voting rights for all citizens regardless of their criminal legal status.
About The Sentencing Project
The Sentencing Project is a national nonprofit organization advocating for a fair and effective criminal justice system. Through research, policy analysis, and public education, it promotes reforms that reduce incarceration and advance racial justice.
About The League of Women Voters of New York State
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.