NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today issued a statement in support of speeches given by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on efforts to protect the right to vote.
“President Biden and Vice President Harris are right – now is the time to do away with any obstacle that infringes upon the people’s right to vote and have their vote counted. In order to safeguard our democracy, we must safeguard the right to vote. The Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act are essential to ensuring that our elections are fair, our ballot boxes are accessible, and the voices of all Americans are heard. I join the President and Vice President in supporting these two pieces of legislation, and I urge the Senate to take swift action to protect our sacred right.”
Today’s action is the latest in Attorney General James’ efforts to challenge restrictive voting laws and protect voters’ rights across the nation.
Attorney General James has successfully led battles against unfair voting restrictions and illegal efforts to deter voting in New York and across the country, ranging from filing an amicus brief in a lawsuit brought forward against a discriminatory Georgia law, to stopping conspiracy theorists from suppressing Black New Yorkers’ right to vote, and more.
Additionally, in May 2021, Attorney General James filed a lawsuit against the Rensselaer County Board of Elections (BOE) and its commissioners for failing to provide voters in Rensselaer County with adequate and equitable access to early voting poll sites, as required by New York’s Early Voting law. In June, a judge ruled in favor of Attorney General James’ request for an injunction against the Rensselaer County Board of Elections, and, in August, the court ruled in favor of Attorney General James’ lawsuit and ordered the BOE to select new early voting poll sites.
