John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York (NYVRA) is a New York state law modeled after the federal Voting Rights Act that is designed to prevent racial voter suppression and discrimination. It is named after the late civil rights activist and Congressman John Lewis. The act prohibits voter suppression, including vote dilution, voter intimidation, voter deception, and voter obstruction. It also establishes preclearance requirements for certain jurisdictions as well as expanded requirements for jurisdictions with a certain number of adult citizens with limited English proficiency.

Legislative history
The NYVRA was introduced in the New York Senate as S.1046-E and in the New York Assembly as A.6678-E. On May 31, 2022, it passed the New York State Senate by a vote of 43 in favor and 20 against. On June 2, 2022, it passed the New York State Assembly by a vote of 106 in favor and 43 against. On June 20, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the NYVRA into law.

Preclearance
The act creates a preclearance requirement for certain jurisdictions with a history of discrimination. These jurisdictions must seek approval from the New York Office of the Attorney General or a state court before making certain changes to their election procedures. This provision is modeled after Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which has been inactive since 2013 following the Supreme Court Case Shelby County v. Holder. The preclearance requirements of the NYVRA go into effect on September 22, 2024.

NYCC v. Nassau County
On February 7, 2024 a group of organizations, including New York Communities for Change, filed a lawsuit against Nassau County over the redistricting maps passed by the Nassau County Legislature. The lawsuit includes allegations that the redistricting plan violates the NYVRA. A case determining the constitutionality of state voting rights acts may ultimately wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.