LDF and Allies Share Resources on How NYVRA Protects Voting Rights for the November Election

Read a PDF of our statementhere.

Today, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) released a new guide for voters in New York State outlining the key protections and tools available to them under the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York, or the NYVRA, as they cast their ballots in the 2024 Presidential election.

With less than a month until Election Day, LDF, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Center for Law and Social Justice, Latino Justice-PRLDF, New York State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the New York Civil Liberties Union have released an informational fact sheet to help New Yorkers identify anti-voter, anti-democracy tactics and know how to address them under the NYVRA. The NYVRA builds on the landmark federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 to protect against voter suppression and discrimination, and it includes the first-ever state-level preclearance protections in the country, which took effect Sept. 22, 2024.

"This will be the first presidential election in which voters in New York will benefit from the NYVRA's robust protections against voter suppression, intimidation, obstruction, and deception, in spite of the Supreme Court's erosion of anti-discrimination protections at the federal level," said Michael Pernick, Political Participation Counsel for the Legal Defense Fund. "We encourage Black voters and other voters of color in New York to be vigilant, know their rights, and use these tools to protect themselves as they head to the polls in this critical election."

"When we passed the NYVRA in 2022, New York made history by solidifying historic protections to ensure all voters have equal opportunity to participate in the political process," said Perry Grossman, Director of Voting Rights Litigation at the New York Civil Liberties Union. "With this helpful guide, New Yorkers now have a clear outline of their new rights under the NYVRA - so everyone can walk into the voting booth and cast a meaningful, well-informed vote. Now more than ever, New York voters need easily accessible, public information about protecting themselves from intimidation, obstruction, or suppression at the ballot box."

"During this critical and historic election year, we are proud that the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York will be in place to strengthen protections against racial discrimination and voter intimidation at the polls," said Cesar Z. Ruiz, Associate Counsel at LatinoJustice PRLDEF. "With the new voter guide we hope to help amplify the fundamental right to vote and make voting more accessible to our Latino communities and beyond."

Since its implementation in 2022, the NYVRA has provided New Yorkers new legal tools to fight discriminatory voting rules in court, expanded language assistance for voters with limited English proficiency, and created strong protections against voter intimidation, obstruction, or deception. Now, under New York's landmark preclearance protections, the most substantial state-level policy response to the disastrous 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, local governments with a history of discrimination must obtain pre-approval from the New York State Attorney General's Civil Rights Bureau before changing key voting procedures, rules, or practices, including those affecting the upcoming November election.

The NYVRA serves as a counter to the Supreme Court's 2021 decision in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, which imposed new burdens on voters trying to hold local governments and officials accountable for discriminatory voting laws and empowers voters, organizations that represent voters, and the Attorney General to sue local governments and officials engaged in discriminatory voter suppression, like closing polling places in communities of color and striking voters of colors from the rolls. The NYVRA also provides expanded protections that allow New Yorkers who see or experience voter intimidation, obstruction, or deception to file a lawsuit to stop the problem or receive compensation from bad actors after the fact.

"We are thankful for the leadership of the NYVRA's champions in the New York State Legislature, and the tireless work of advocates, including more than 70 civil and voting rights organizations," said Pernick. "While we celebrate the work we have done, we acknowledge there is more to do. LDF will continue to support passage of state voting rights acts across the nation and urges Congress to immediately pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act."

To access LDF and partners' guide to the NYVRA's protections for voters in 2024, click here.

To learn more about protections provided by the NYVRA's preclearance program click here.

To learn about the common myths about preclearance click here.

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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation's first civil rights law organization. LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957-although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.

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