The New York State Supreme Court in Orange County has invalidated a state law designed to prevent local officials from implementing policies that could restrict voting rights based on race.
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act, named after the late Congressman and civil rights advocate, was enacted by New York’s Legislature in 2022. The law aimed to reintroduce a form of “preclearance,” a safeguard from the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 that was removed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013. This federal provision required states and counties with a history of Black voter suppression to receive approval from the U.S. Justice Department before making changes to voting rules. Similarly, New York’s state law required local governments or school districts with records of discrimination to obtain approval from state authorities before passing certain voting-related policies.