Thomas Phippen, DCNF

Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that he will sign an executive order to restore voting rights to parolees.

“In this state, when you’re released from prison and you’re on parole, you still don’t have the right to vote,” Cuomo in a speech at the National Action Network’s annual conference in Manhattan, according to The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. “Now how can that be? You did your time. You paid your debt. You’re released, but you still don’t have a right to vote.”

Currently, those who have served their criminal sentence and have completed parole are eligible for restored voting rights, but Cuomo wanted the legislature to pass a law granting convicted felons on parole the right to vote. Cuomo says the Republican-controlled state senate rejected the law, so he would do it himself.

Pushing to re-integrate former felons into society without restoring the right to vote is counter productive, Cuomo argued.

“I’m unwilling to take no for an answer,” Cuomo said. “I’m going to make it law by executive order and I announce that here today.”

Swipe >> BIG NEWS! Gov. Cuomo announces at NAN Convention #NANConv2018 an Executive Order to restore the right to vote to over 35,000 New Yorkers, all people on parole, ending a Reconstruction-era provision intended to bar Black men from the ballot. That’s why we call is the National ACTION Network. We’ve been leading a coalition called #RestoreTheVoteNY dedicated to Restoring the Right to Vote. #RTVNY @nygovcuomo @real_sharpton #MLK50

A post shared by National Action Network (NAN) (@nationalactionnetwork) on Apr 18, 2018 at 8:53am PDT

Cuomo faces a potentially tight primary campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor this year against actress and prominent black lives matter activist Cynthia Nixon, who has gained popularity as a liberal outsider.

The National Action Network — where Cuomo appeared just after former Eric Holder, Attorney General under President Barack Obama, spoke — characterizes felon disenfranchisement laws reconstruction-era provisions to prevent black men from voting.

Virginia Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe restored voting rights to 156,221 felons in the state in 2017 in what he calls his “proudest achievement.” Florida will vote on a ballot proposition this fall that, if approved, would restore voting rights to 1.5 million felons in the state.

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