Dutchess County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro has weighed in on Gov. Andrew Cuomo's executive order that gives parolees the right to vote.

"While I unequivocally believe in second chances, I also believe in the rule of law. Governor Cuomo's decision to circumvent the legislative process and by executive fiat extend voting rights to over 36,000 parolees who have yet to fulfill their debt to society is wrong. Desperate to ward off a challenge from Cynthia Nixon, Andrew Cuomo's unilateral action is an insult to the legislature, the courts, crime victims and the voters of the State of New York," he said in a statement.

And Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon isn't supporting the move by Cuomo either, tweeting Wednesday: "We don't buy the Governor's new song-and-dance routine. Voter suppression in New York should have ended eight years ago, from the rights of parolees to access to early voting and automatic registration."

Cuomo's order also doesn't make New York a liberal outlier on the issue. 17 states, plus Washington D.C., now grant the vote for parolees.

The governor said the state's current law makes it hard for parolees to properly re-enter society.

"You did your time, you paid your debt, you're released. But you still don't have a right to vote. At the same time, we're saying we want you a part of society, we want you to get back into the community," Cuomo said.