Bill > S00160

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to expand voting rights to incarcerated individuals in New York State. Specifically, the bill would modify the state constitution to explicitly include "any incarcerated person in a correctional facility" as eligible to vote, alongside other citizens who are 18 years or older and have been residents of the state, county, city, or village for at least 30 days prior to an election. The amendment also updates language around voter eligibility, removing gendered terms like "his or her" and replacing them with gender-neutral language like "such person's". Additionally, the bill removes a provision that previously allowed the legislature to exclude persons convicted of certain crimes from voting rights. The proposed amendment would need to be referred to the next legislative session after the upcoming general election and be published for three months before that election, following the standard constitutional amendment process in New York. This change represents a significant shift in voting rights for incarcerated individuals, potentially allowing thousands of people currently serving sentences to participate in the democratic process.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S160