Some Reasons to Co-sponsor/ Support Senate Bill S316 / Assembly bill A00412 

BILL S316
BILL A00412
  • Historical Context–
    • Felony disenfranchisement was a 19th-century solution to suppressing the votes of black men. It was a deliberate strategy to undermine the 15th Amendment (granting black men the right to vote). Yes, even in New York State. We think of Jim Crow as the past, but it is happening right now, right here, in the 21st century. We can change that through this bill and eliminate one of the vestiges of slavery from the NY State Constitution.
  • Impact on the Community–
    • Voting allows for electing people who are interested in your community.  If people who are incarcerated could vote, they would elect people who are interested in the improvement of the communities they come from. 
    • Voting gives incarcerated people the opportunity to collaborate with family/ community members who are not incarcerated and build more of an alliance/ connection. 
  • Importance for Reentry–
    • Imprisonment physically removes people from the community and disenfranchisement disengages people from the community.  We want people to be able to stay connected- (what’s happening on the school board? Who is the Mayor?, etc.).  So when someone comes out of prison that person can be contributing members of society because they never lost input into who has leadership positions in the society.  Research (by Hedwig Lee) indicates families with incarcerated loved ones are least likely to be civically engaged.  Restoring the right to vote to people who are incarcerated keeps families engaged too.
  • Process of Restoring the Right to Vote to Incarcerated–
    • The proposed bill must pass in both the senate and assembly in two consecutive legislative terms (a term consists of two sessions).  After that, the question of restoring the right to vote to incarcerated people will be placed on the ballot for the public to vote on.  In all voting opportunities (by electeds and the public), we must win the vote- and we will. The key to the win is education, outreach and building relationships with elected officials and the public for understanding and agreement. 
  • Main ask–
    • If an elected official, will you sign on as a co-sponsor? If you are already a co-sponsor, thank you!  Please support by asking colleagues to do the same- sign on as a co-sponsor.  If you are part of an organization, will your organization sign onto our endorsement letter?