Today Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 2466 into law, which restores voting rights to over 50,000 Californians with non-violent felony convictions. NAACP Legal Defense Fund Associate Director-Counsel Janai Nelson offered the following statement:
“Today Governor Jerry Brown once again showed how California can lead the way on voting rights. By signing AB2466, which restores voting rights to over 50,000 Californians with low-level, non-violent felony convictions, Brown has furthered equality, encouraged participation in our political process, and contributed to the enfranchisement of every person who should be free to cast a ballot. This legislation is good for public safety, good for engaged citizenship, and good for our democracy.
“California’s restoration of voting rights is part of a broader momentum across states toward ending the antiquated and discriminatory practice of arbitrarily denying the fundamental right to vote based on felony convictions. We must continue that commitment to expanding the franchise both through important state-level changes like these and at the national level by restoring the Voting Rights Act to its full power.”
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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization and has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.
