New York state will restore voting rights to thousands of people with felony convictions on parole, under an executive order signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday. Civil rights lawyer Myrna Pérez of the Brennan Center for Justice welcomed the order, writing in a statement, “New York State’s disenfranchisement policy is rooted in historical racism, a shameful extension of 19th century efforts to intentionally block black men from casting ballots. And today, depriving Americans on parole of the right to vote continues to have a drastic impact on people of color.”