New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a package of “election reforms” on July 16 to make it easier to vote, easing the use of absentee ballots by eliminating the need for signed applications and allowing voters to request ballots via simple letter or even email, without filling out or signing an application. It also provides that federal write-in absentee ballots, military ballots, special presidential ballots received after Election Day must contain a postmark of election day or earlier. It allows candidates who lost primaries to be removed from the ballots.
Cuomo had announced on May 3, that he had signed a bill greatly expanding felon voting rights. The bill would allow people on parole to vote as soon as they leave prison, CNN reported.
The law codifies a 2018 executive order that allowed the Governor to individually pardon parolees, and codifies that Department of Corrections officials are required to provide a voter registration form as the felon leaves the prison facility. Previously, parolees would have to wait four-to-six weeks to receive a pardon, and then register to vote on their own. The New York legislature passed the bill in April; some provisions went into effect immediately, while some are delayed until 120 days after the bill’s signing.
