Maggie Williams

Making Real the Promises of Our Democracy in All NYC Communities

CAN YOU VOTE WHILE ON PROBATION?
CAN YOU VOTE IF YOU HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF A MISDEMEANOR?
CAN YOU VOTE WHILE AWAITING TRIAL?
CAN YOU VOTE ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR SENTENCE FOR A FELONY CONVICTION?

The answer to all of these questions is YES.

IN NEW YORK STATE, AN INDIVIDUAL ONLY LOSES THE RIGHT TO VOTE IF SHE HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF A FELONY AND IS CURRENTLY INCARCERATED OR ON PAROLE.

If you did not know the answers to these questions, you are not alone. 48 of our 50 states strip citizens of their right to vote for varying periods of time. However, because these laws vary greatly from state to state, an alarming amount of misinformation surrounds these laws. Based on a study conducted by the Voter Enfranchisement Project (VEP) at The Bronx Defenders, close to 40% of those who have been arrested mistakenly believe that someone cannot vote while on probation. Even more disturbing, a similar study conducted by The Brennan Center and Demos found that close to 40% of elections officials were equally mistaken. This misinformation, perpetuated by people in positions of authority, keeps eligible voters from registering and making it to the polls: in the Bronx, an eligible voter with previous criminal justice involvement is 50% less likely to be registered than her neighbor.

Unfortunately, these superficially colorblind felon disenfranchisement laws are anything but. Based on criminal justice involvement, felon disenfranchisement laws reflect the disparities of the criminal justice system: both disproportionately disrupt the lives of low-income communities of color. Although only 34% of the NYC population is Black and Latino, they make up over 80% of the people arrested each year. In addition, low-income communities already encounter obstacles to political participation that higher income communities never experience. For example, since low-income voters are more likely to move often, those who attempted to vote on September 12th in the New York State primary, were disproportionately impacted by the NYC Board of Elections’ oversight in telling 200,000 recently moved voters to go to the wrong polling site. Felon disenfranchisement laws and the misinformation that surrounds these laws exacerbate administrative election problems such as this. Ultimately, these obstacles and others prevent low-income communities of color from holding elected officials accountable to their needs, and keep them from getting the resources necessary to break cycles of poverty, unemployment, and criminal justice involvement.

Democracy must be accountable to the needs of all communities. In order for any of us to vote we need to (1) know our rights; (2) want to exercise those rights; and (3) be able to cast a meaningful ballot at the polls. We know that individuals with previous criminal justice involvement want to vote: research with clients at The Bronx Defenders has shown that, once registered, a Bronx resident who has been through the criminal justice system is just as likely to vote as her neighbor who hasn’t. Now, VEP is working with the NY VOTE coalition here in NYC to make sure that low-income communities have the information they need to understand their voting rights and make it to the polls. From voter education workshops, door knocking, and training; to helping voters cast an informed ballot with our Better Ballots 2006 New York Voter Education Guide; to providing trained poll monitors at polling sites where NY VOTE coalition members will be turning out, VEP is working to help low-income New Yorkers make their voices heard from the South Bronx to the nation’s capital.

How can you help? First and foremost, get out and vote. Register before the deadline this Friday, October 13th and update your registration if you have moved recently—you can download a form at the NYC Board of Elections or find at your local post office. If you are already registered, call 1.866.VOTE.NYC to confirm that you are registered at your current address and locate your polling site in advance at the NYC Board of Elections’ website. And if you can, join us on Election Day as a nonpartisan poll monitor in the Bronx.

In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., insisted that, "Now is the time to make real the promises of our democracy." Today, it is our responsibility to uphold these promises for all communities in New York City.

Maggie Williams: Author Bio | Other Posts
Posted at 1:28 PM, Oct 11, 2006 in Democracy
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