“The New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) sent 4.5 million voter guides to New Yorkers saying those who are on parole for a felony can’t vote. That is absolutely false, and it is disgraceful and unacceptable that a mistake of this magnitude occurred five days before Election Day. Parolees should check their status, and if eligible ‒ register and vote. I am demanding a briefing from the CFB to know how this happened. The Governor has been issuing pardons to restore voting rights to most felony parolees. I am glad the CFB apologized and rectified this error on their website, but the voter guides were already mailed and we still demand answers on why this error occurred in the first place.

“Sadly, Council staff also discovered that the New York City Board of Elections (BOE) made the same mistake. While the BOE has said they are processing registrations from eligible parolees, the language on their site also incorrectly states that those on parole for a felony cannot vote. The Council alerted the BOE of this error, and we look forward to their response and proposed solution.

“My message to all New Yorkers on parole for a felony: check your status. Those who have received pardons from Gov. Cuomo are eligible to register and vote. I encourage you to exercise your rights as an American!”

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