Governor Andrew Cuomo to Grant Voting Rights to Paroled Felons in New York

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the restoration of voting rights to tens of thousands of paroled felons — an obvious and desperate attempt to win some Democratic votes in the coming elections.

Cuomo signed an executive order to restore the rights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGV4jdqqSSU

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By the numbers, it’s about 35,000 felons who were affected. Specificially, his order gives conditional pardons to those who’ve completed their jail sentences but who are still on parole.

Democrat & Chronicle has more:

Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowed Wednesday to grant voting rights to tens of thousands of paroled felons, arguing that they’ve paid their debt to society and should have the ability to cast a ballot. …

Th[e] pardons would restore the parolees’ ability to vote.

Cuomo unveiled the executive order during a speech at the National Action Network’s annual conference Wednesday in Manhattan.

“In this state, when you’re released from prison and you’re on parole, you still don’t have the right to vote,” Cuomo, who is seeking re-election this year, said at the conference.

“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.”

The measure drew praise from liberal groups, but criticism from Republicans and conservatives.

As of Nov. 1, there were 36,138 under parole supervision in New York, with 54 percent living in New York City, according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

Cuomo’s order would affect about 35,000 of those parolees, according to the Governor’s Office.

Prior to Cuomo’s order, those convicted of a felony and sentenced to incarceration were unable to vote in New York until completing their prison sentence and parole.

Those on probation do not lose their right to vote. And those serving a prison sentence for a misdemeanor can vote via absentee ballot.

Across the country, voting laws vary widely when it comes to the incarcerated.

New York had been one of four states to allow those on probation to vote but block parolees, according to Nonprofit VOTE, an organization dedicated to promoting voter participation.

Thirteen states and the District of Columbia restore voting rights when a felon is released from prison, while 22 states do not allow felons to vote until they’ve completed their prison sentence, parole and/or probation.

Maine and Vermont do not strip felons of their right to vote, while it depends on the type of conviction or an individual petition to the government for felons in the remaining nine states.

Cuomo’s executive order relies on his constitutional power to grant pardons to those convicted of crimes other than treason.

State election law prohibits paroled felons from voting until they’ve completed their maximum sentence or been discharged from parole — unless the governor grants a pardon.

Cuomo’s order requires the state prison system to provide his office with a current list of all paroled felons. From there, his office will review the list and determine who will get a pardon to restore voting rights.

The list will be updated every month, according to the order.

The conditional pardons relate only to voting rights.

Cuomo’s order explicitly says it would not waive any unpaid fines or grant felons the ability to purchase a firearm or seal their criminal record.

Cuomo’s order received plaudits from the New York Civil Liberties Union, which frequently pushes for expanded voting rights.

Donna Lieberman, the group’s executive director, called it an “important step to strengthen our democracy.

“Restoring voting rights of people on parole is crucial to encouraging civic participation, making our political process more inclusive, and ensuring that formerly incarcerated people return to their communities successfully,” she said in a statement.

The order is likely to anger Republicans in the Senate, who Cuomo claimed have stood in the way of efforts to approve the change legislatively.

In his speech, Cuomo said he had proposed legislation to allow parolees to vote, though he’s never released such a bill publicly.

Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, R-Suffolk County, said Cuomo had never brought the issue up during recently completed budget negotiations.

But Flanagan did say Republicans would have strenuously opposed it. He questioned whether it’s legal and accused Cuomo of running an end-around on the Legislature.

“This will give rapists and murderers voting privileges that they shouldn’t have and they don’t deserve,” Flanagan told reporters.

Mike Long, the chairman of the state Conservative Party, ripped Cuomo’s plan and said he believes it is illegal.

Long contended that the Democratic governor is clearly announcing initiatives to go to the left of Cynthia Nixon, his liberal primary challenger.

“I think what he is doing is unconstitutional, number one,” Long said. “Number two, I think he’s pandering to the extreme left-wing elements of our nation.”

Long added, “If he’s going do that, then why not pass an executive order to allow anyone who lives in the state of New York and those visiting the state of New York to vote in the election.”

Nixon, the Sex and the City star who is challenging Cuomo in a Democratic primary, said Cuomo should have made the change years ago.

“We don’t buy the governor’s new song-and-dance routine,” Nixon said.

“Voter suppression in New York should have ended eight years ago, from the rights of parolees to access to early voting and automatic registration.”

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Steve
Steve
5 years ago

Maybe he can also start hiring the mafia for his entourage. That means he can rehire a former aide of his – a felon. Of course it all makes sense when you investigate the motives.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/nyregion/percoco-corruption-bribery-trial-cuomo-guilty.html

marlene
marlene
5 years ago

A gift from yet to be “unconvicted” felon to his fellow felons! 35,000 more democratic voters, at all costs to civilized America’s rule of law means nothing to the bureaucratic swamp creatures in New York.

James Stamulis
James Stamulis
5 years ago

No surprise seeing they have a felon for a governor.

Suresh
Suresh
5 years ago

NYC citizens deserve all that he dishes out like Brits who allowed a jihadi to run and win .

Now Sharia Police in Uk are not willing to protect those who speak truth about islam https://tinyurl.com/ya6j3phj

Instead go after those who expose the jihadi crimes and their Left/Liberal supporters !

Drew the Infidel
Drew the Infidel
5 years ago

Did you hear about the distressed airliner that was going to have to lighten itself by throwing out passengers in reverse order of their social usefulness? A fight immediately broke out between a politician and a convicted felon.

Mahou Shoujo
Mahou Shoujo
5 years ago

The increasing desperation of democrats is getting amusing. They realize that stuffing ballot boxes and having the dead vote is not enough, so they are going to professional thieves for help.

marlene
marlene
5 years ago
Reply to  Mahou Shoujo

Romney owns one of these companies too. This proves we can’t rid our government of these swamp creatures by voting. We need to organize massive demonstrations against them.

felix1999
felix1999
5 years ago

DEMS are desperate for votes.
CONVICTED FELONS can NOT vote in FEDERAL ELECTIONS!
He can allow them to vote in STATE elections.

aemoreira1981
aemoreira1981
5 years ago
Reply to  felix1999

Actually they can unless convicted of a federal felony. Currently in NY, the rule is that one has to complete all terms of a sentence and then restoration is automatic.

Alleged-Comment
Alleged-Comment
5 years ago

Coma is a commie. It’s as simple as adding 2+2. Coma knows, that Felons are obsessed with their anus as he is as a Demoncrap.

All Demoncraps and lieberals are obsessed with their anus. Birds of the same feather flock together. The anus rules with them.

Memri Dotorg
Memri Dotorg
5 years ago

Cuomo is a bigger buffoon than Deblasio. Phony and incompetent stereotype politician

Steve
Steve
5 years ago
Reply to  Memri Dotorg

Don Cuomo!

Tom Validakis
Tom Validakis
5 years ago

Deport Cuomo back to Italy.

Drew the Infidel
Drew the Infidel
5 years ago
Reply to  Tom Validakis

Agreed. He did label himself “undocumented”, didn’t he?

AlgorithmicAnalystD
AlgorithmicAnalyst
5 years ago

More votes for the Democrats.

felix1999
felix1999
5 years ago

Have all convicted felons serve their entire term.
NO PAROLE!
Convicted felons have a high recidivism rate.
Herman Bell, a member of the Black Panthers Party, ambushed and murdered THREE white policemen.

Former Black Liberation Army member who killed THREE cops set to be FREED from jail: Judge says murderer, 70, is eligible for parole after REJECTED PLEAS from the VICTIM’S family to keep him behind bars

* Inmate Herman Bell, who was convicted for the 1971 ambush and murder of two NYPD officers Joseph Piagentini and Waverly Jones, was granted parole

* Bell is expected to be released from an upstate New York prison on April 27, a judge said rejecting the pleas of Officer Piagentini’s widow for a re-do hearing

* Bell and two members of the Black Liberation Army were convicted of luring Jones and Piagentini to a house in Harlem and then opening fire in an ambush

*vJones died instantly, while Piagentini was shot 22 times as he BEGGED for his life

* While on the run, Jones helped ASSASSINATE an officer in San Francisco

* The 70-year-old convicted murder was granted parole in March, on his eighth try

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5640949/Man-killed-three-cops-eligible-parole-judge-rejects-pleas-victims-family.html#ixzz5DVcTGYf5

marlene
marlene
5 years ago
Reply to  felix1999

Absolutely! Dead victims never come back to life, injured victims suffer, and victims of theft never get back their goods. These felons deserve to serve their full time, at the very least. And bring back the death sentence!!

Achmed Mohandjob
Achmed Mohandjob
5 years ago
Reply to  felix1999

Unless there exist strong extenuating circumstances, the old ways are the best ways …. “hanged by the neck until dead”, should be the sentence employed.

aemoreira1981
aemoreira1981
5 years ago

New York is tougher than most states and there DOJ on that…there is no parole for violent felonies and one must serve 6/7 of the sentence before time off for good behavior. The exception is where the judge sets the minimum where the maximum is life.

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