Changes to NY poll sites and hours face new scrutiny under 2022 voting rights law

Westchester and Monroe counties and other New York jurisdictions will soon need permission from the state attorney general or a judge before moving a voting site or making other election changes.

Under part of a 2022 state law that takes effect this month, certain counties and other jurisdictions must get what is known as preclearance to alter their election procedures. That means applying to the Attorney General's Office or going before a state judge for approval for typical pre-election decisions, such as adding or dropping voting locations or changing poll hours on one of the state's nine early-voting dates.

The new requirement comes under New York's John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act , a multi-pronged law that aimed to thwart voter suppression or intimidation and protect minority voting power.

Among the places that will need preclearance for election changes starting Sept. 22 are New York City and nine counties on Long Island and north of the city, including Westchester, Rockland, Orange and Monroe.

The list also includes six school districts, which run their own elections for budgets and school board seats. Among the covered school systems are Rochester, Mount Vernon in Westchester, and East Ramapo in Rockland.

Just one New York village will need permission to change election policies: Port Chester in Westchester. The village changed its voting system in 2018 after the U.S. Justice Department charged Port Chester with racial discrimination.

AG's Office chose the jurisdictions that are covered

The Attorney General's Office chose which jurisdictions are covered by the law based on various factors , including whether they had committed a voting or civil rights violation within the last 25 years.

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Those that are covered must seek permission from either the attorney general's Civil Rights Bureau or one of four courts. The Civil Rights Bureau must solicit public comments on each proposal and decide within 15 or 55 days, depending on the type of change. The courts must approve or deny a request within 60 days.

Several suits have been brought under a different part of the Voting Rights Act meant to prevent the dilution of minority votes. Three towns — including Mount Pleasant in Westchester and Newburgh in Orange County — have been sued by voters of color to force the adoption of ward systems for their governing boards, which now have at-large seats.

Westchester lawsuit: Hispanics seek change in Mount Pleasant at-large voting system under new state law

The goal is to foster minority representation on those boards by giving different areas of the towns the ability to elect their own council members. The towns are fighting back in court by challenging the law's constitutionality.

Chris McKenna covers government and politics for The Journal News and USA Today Network. Reach him at cmckenna@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Changes to NY poll sites and hours face new scrutiny under 2022 voting rights law