New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo strayed from Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders’s position on allowing felons to vote while in jail during an appearance on CNN’s “New Day” with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman Tuesday.
“I totally disagree with Bernie Sanders,” Cuomo said.
“You are in prison for felony,” he said. “You’re paying your debt to society. I don’t think you should have the right to vote and participate as a full citizen. Once you pay your debt to society, you’re out, you’re on parole, in this state, you’re being assimilated back into society, fine, then you have a right to vote.”
Sanders said during a CNN town hall Monday night that people in jail should be able to vote.
“I think the right to vote is inherent to our democracy, yes, even for terrible people, because once you start chipping away … you’re running down a slippery slope,” Sanders said. “I believe that people commit crimes, they pay the price, but when they get out of jail they certainly should have the right to vote. But I do believe that even if they are in jail paying their price to society, that should not take away their inherent American right to participate in our democracy.”
Cuomo signed an executive order to restore paroled felons’ voting rights in April 2018.
The move allows more than 70 sex offenders the ability to vote, the New York Daily News reported in July 2018.
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