ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York’s governor has signed a law intended to prevent local officials from enacting rules that might suppress people’s voting rights because of their race. The law signed Monday by Gov. Kathy Hochul will make New York one of the first states to bring back a version of a process known as “preclearance.” The process was gutted by a landmark Supreme Court decision in 2013. Under the federal Voting Rights Act, states with a record of suppressing the rights of Black voters once had to seek U.S. Justice Department approval before changing voting rules. Now, local governments with a record of discrimination in New York must gain approval from state officials.
Photo: (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)