A state judge in Newburgh, N.Y., approximately 60 miles from New York City, has declared a prominent voting rights law unconstitutional. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York (NYVRA), enacted in 2022, was sponsored by Senator Zellnor Myrie and signed by Governor Kathy Hochul. The law aimed to safeguard the voting rights of individuals in protected classes and required pre approval for certain voting policies.
“When New York enacted the strongest voting rights law in the country, we knew there would be challenges,” Senator Myrie stated. “I disagree with the court’s legal reasoning and expect this decision will be overturned on appeal.”
The case stemmed from a lawsuit filed in March by six Black and Hispanic voters from Newburgh against the town’s electoral board. This lawsuit, one of at least four filed under the NYVRA, challenged the town’s “at-large elections” process, which the plaintiffs argued disadvantaged Black and Hispanic residents by preventing them from electing their preferred candidates. They called for a shift to a “by district” voting system, according to the Associated Press (AP).
