A new requirement in New York will grant Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James widespread power over the state's election process, according to an election attorney. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York, signed into law in 2022, will implement a preclearance requirement on September 22. This rule will require certain jurisdictions to request preclearance from the attorney general or a designated court for election-related decisions. The attorney general's new power has raised concerns about the impact on election processes in hotly contested congressional districts.