Congressman Dan Goldman Fights to End Jim Crow Era Laws Denying Voting Rights to Millions of Americans

The ‘Democracy Restoration Act (DRA) of 2023’ Would Restore Voting Rights to 4.6 Million Americans Who Have Completed Custodial Sentences

Legislation Would End Jim Crow Era Practice of Felony Disenfranchisement; Guarantee the Right to Vote in Elections for Federal Office

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) joined Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Congressman Troy Carter (LA-02), and Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04) in introducing the Democracy Restoration Act (DRA) of 2023. This historic legislation would end the permanent denial of voting rights nationwide for individuals with criminal convictions who have been released from incarceration and have completed their custodial sentence. As of October 2022, an estimated 4.6 million Americans are disenfranchised due to a felony conviction.

“The right of one person, one vote is at the very foundation of our democracy,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “The disenfranchisement of millions of mostly black and brown Americans is a stain on our nation’s moral authority. The Democracy Restoration Act will correct Jim Crow-era voter suppression and finally restore the fundamental right to vote to millions of Americans.”

The Democracy Restoration Act (DRA) aims to secure the voting rights of all citizens in federal elections, irrespective of felony or misdemeanor convictions, as long as they have been released from prison. Additionally, the bill includes enforcement provisions and mandates that individuals be notified about restoration of their voting rights.

Approximately 1 in 19 African Americans of voting age is disenfranchised, a rate 3.5 times that of non-African Americans. Among the adult African American population, 5.3 percent is disenfranchised compared to 1.5 percent of the adult non-African American population.

While in law school, Congressman Goldman contributed to Michelle Alexander’s seminal book, The New Jim Crow, which addresses the inequalities in our criminal justice system. Taking this experience with him to the House of Representatives, Congressman Goldman has made fighting for voting rights a priority in his first term.

The Congressman’s first bill in Congress, the ‘Early Voting Act ,’ would expand early voting access across the country. The Early Voting Act was recently included in the seminal House voting rights bill package, the 'Freedom To Vote Act.' 

 
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