Democratic states are moving to expand the voting rights of felons as the GOP seeks to tighten voting rules following a spate of losses in the 2020 election. New York, Washington and Virginia have all recently taken legislative or executive action ensuring previously incarcerated men and women will have easier access to the ballot box. Advocates have argued that most people who are affected by felony disenfranchisement come from communities of color. ADVERTISEMENT “The history of this is very much connected to Jim Crow and racism. And sadly, our nation has deep and long history about choosing who gets to vote as a mechanism to keep some people down,” said New York Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell (D), who sponsored legislation that the legislature passed expanding voting rights to previously incarcerated felons.