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Cuomo Issues First Conditional Pardons To Parolees Through Executive Order

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has issued the first set of conditional pardons restoring the right to vote to 24,086 people under community supervision in New York state.

The group of pardons follows the executive order signed on April 18 to improve civic engagement and reduce recidivism. State election law provides that a governor’s pardon restores the right to vote to individuals who lose this right due to being on parole for a felony that resulted in their incarceration.

“The right to vote is fundamental and it is unconscionable to deny that basic right of citizenship to New Yorkers who have paid their debt to society,” Cuomo said. “Restoring a voice to men and women reentering their communities will strengthen our democracy, as well as the reentry process, which in-turn will help reduce recidivism.”

Cuomo’s pardon review process examined each person and considered a variety of factors, including if the person is living successfully in the community by maintaining required contact with his or her parole officer and remaining at liberty at the time of the review. The remaining applications are being reviewed and processed. This process will be repeated every month. Conversely, if a pardon recipient is re-incarcerated in New York state prison as a result of a parole violation, or as a result of a conviction for a new felony, their pardon will be revoked.

The pardons issued today exclusively restore the right to vote and they have no other effect on a person’s conviction or status.

Each person who receives a pardon will be given a copy of their pardon by their parole officer, along with a voter registration form.

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