Local News on WXHC.com is brought to you by:
Yesterday, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act into law. The law will expand access to voting by prohibiting voter dilution, suppression, intimidation, deception, or obstruction.
“At a time when the very foundation of our democracy is under threat, New York is leading the nation with new laws protecting the fundamental right to vote,” Governor Hochul said.
“As a black man who represented a district in Congress that is nearly 90 percent white, in one of the most rural parts of the country, and as the first person of color to ever represent upstate New York in Congress, my experience is proof that voting can bring about change that once might have seemed out of reach,” said Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado.
The law will also require jurisdictions with a history of civil or voting rights violations to seek preclearance for changes to important election policies and practices.
