Gov. Cuomo’s order granting parolees the right to vote has incensed a Republican Long Island state Senator who says the move could place sex offenders near school children across the state.
Sen. Elaine Phillips has identified seven high-risk offenders — four of them convicted of offenses involving children — who are newly eligible to vote in her district and could cast their votes at schools, putting children at risk.
“Since polling places in my district — and across the state — are located in public schools, there is a high probability that these sex offenders…. could attempt to cast their votes during school hours while young children may be present,” she said in a letter to Corrections Acting Commissioner Anthony Annucci .
“Since poll inspectors are mostly barred by law from asking voters for official identification and in any case, cannot be expected to perform the duties of law enforcement… the public deserves to know what steps you and other administration officials are taking to ensure these high and medium risk sex offenders do not enter and remain in our schools filled with young, vulnerable children,” she said in the letter obtained by the Post.
Last month, Cuomo pardoned more than 24,000 paroled felons, allowing them to vote.
“We haven’t received the letter but appropriate steps will be taken to ensure that these parolees abide by the conditions of their parole while exercising their right to vote, as parolees do in 18 other states and Washington, D.C.,” said Thomas Mailey, Director of Public Information for the corrections agency.
