Jail & Post-Release Voting Portal
An initiative of the Election Protection Jail & Post Release Voting Working Group in collaboration with the Prisoners Legal Advocacy Network and state and local partners
SOUTH CAROLINA
Learn more about the community events, voter support, and volunteer opportunities provided by Root & Rebound and other South Carolina partners, and access the Election Protection Jail & Post-Release Voting Working Group’s Guide For Presently & Formerly Incarcerated Voters In South Carolina.
NEVADA
Learn more about the community events, voter support, and volunteer opportunities provided by Silver State Voices and Mass Liberation Project Nevada, and access the Election Protection Jail & Post-Release Voting Working Group’s Guide For Presently & Formerly Incarcerated Voters In Nevada. Recent legislative changes have re-enfranchised Nevadans who are on supervision. If you have released from prison, you are eligible to vote in Nevada!
COLORADO
Learn more about the community events, voter support, and volunteer opportunities provided by the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, and access the Election Protection Jail & Post-Release Voting Working Group’s Guide For Presently & Formerly Incarcerated Voters In Colorado. Following newly enacted legislation, there will be in-person voting in all Colorado jails in the November 2024 General Election!
GEORGIA
Learn more about the community events, voter support, and volunteer opportunities provided by Barred Business, The Protected Class Network, Georgia Justice Project,and other state partners, and access the Election Protection Jail & Post-Release Voting Working Group’s Guide For Presently & Formerly Incarcerated Voters In Georgia.
NEW MEXICO
Learn more about the community events, voter support, and volunteer opportunities provided by Olé New Mexico, and access the Election Protection Jail & Post-Release Voting Working Group’s Guide For Presently & Formerly Incarcerated Voters In New Mexico.
MICHIGAN
Learn more about the community events, voter support, and volunteer opportunities provided by Nation Outside, Vote By Mail In Jail, Spread the Vote, and other state partners, and access the Election Protection Jail & Post-Release Voting Working Group’s Guide For Presently & Formerly Incarcerated Voters In Michigan.
KENTUCKY
Learn more about the community events, voter support, and volunteer opportunities provided by Advocacy Based on Lived Experience (ABLE), Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, the League of Women Voters of Kentucky, and other state partners, and access the Election Protection Jail & Post-Release Voting Working Group’s Guide For Presently & Formerly Incarcerated Voters In Kentucky.
Our Framework & Values
The Jail & Post-Release Voting Portal is an online resource that provides cost-free resources for presently and formerly incarcerated voters and their advocates about voting eligibility requirements and voting procedures at the pre-trial, post-conviction, and post-release stages. It is an initiative of the Election Protection Jail & Post-Release Voting Working Group that is developed and maintained by the Prisoners Legal Advocacy Network in collaboration with state and local partners. The materials in the Portal may not reflect the views of all advocates or organizations that participate in the Working Group.
Impacted-Led
This initiative recognizes and honors the longstanding leadership roles of presently and formerly incarcerated advocates in the jail and post-release voting rights spaces. Jailhouse lawyers, prison paralegals, and formerly incarcerated advocates play leading roles in designing, developing, and maintaining this Portal, in partnership with trusted allies. In addition to providing cost-free resources for voters and advocates, this Portal amplifies the efforts of impacted-led initiatives and publicizes opportunities for community involvement.
Voicing Votes
We believe that true reform of the criminal legal system, and an inclusive democracy that reflects the views and priorities of all community members, cannot be achieved unless those directly impacted by the criminal legal system mobilize as a fully activated voting constituency. Our votes are our voices. Impacted advocates collaborate, and share ideas and resources, through participation in the Working Group’s national VOICE (Voting to Overcome Incarceration and Carceral Experiences) board.
Inclusive Organizing
We are stronger together. Presently and formerly incarcerated people play critical roles in voting rights organizing even if they are themselves disenfranchised. We can all engage friends and family, and mobilize them to voice and elevate our concerns by voting in our honor, even if we cannot vote ourselves. We help expand the franchise by testifying about our experiences, whether we do so in court, at a legislative hearing, or in our daily lives.
Holistic Approach
We adopt a whole-person approach to the work. We engage others who have been impacted by the criminal legal system not only as potential voters or voting advocates, but as multi-faceted members of our communities, many of whom are grappling with the hardships of carceral life or re-entry.
Ongoing Engagement
Forging partnerships, building trust, and supporting one another through the challenges of incarceration and post-release supervision are not intermittent efforts limited to election seasons. This initiative operates 365 days a year, and sustains involvement in and support of our communities at all times, not only when an election is looming.
Deepening Collaboration
We convene national meetings and events that bring impacted leaders and trusted allies into collaboration. This initiative recognizes that impacted advocates were among the first to work in jail and post-release voting spaces. We partner with allies who join us in designing and implementing strategies and tactics, as opposed to inviting us to take part in campaigns developed without our active participation. We work with allies who share our understanding that we have important skills and expertise beyond our “lived experiences,” and that we have invaluable roles to play in all aspects of the work.
Building Power
Through the Working Group, and together with our trusted allies, we are building power to end prison gerrymandering and felony disenfranchisement and restore the voting rights of people regardless of their conviction status or incarceration.
The resources provided through this Portal are provided for informational purposes only. They are not legal advice, and they are not intended as a substitute or supplement to legal advice to address a specific individual’s concerns. Portal resources are designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. They are based on sources believed to be accurate and reliable and they are intended to be current as of the time they were written. Portal resources are made available with the understanding that neither the Working Group nor its participants are engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services to readers or users of these resources. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, then the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Also, to confirm that the information contained herein has not been affected or changed by recent developments, traditional legal research techniques should be used, including checking primary sources where appropriate or contacting election offices or qualified advocates. Materials provided through the Portal may not reflect the views of all advocates or organizations that participate in the Working Group or provide technical assistance to support the development of these informational resources. It is the responsibility of voters to determine how all applicable laws concerning voter eligibility, registration, and casting a ballot affect them.
– Based on the Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations.
Election Protection Jail & Post-Release Working Group
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I learn more about the Working Group?
The Election Protection Jail & Post-Release Working Group is a coalition of national, state, and local partners. In addition to co-lead organizations and impacted-led initiatives, independent advocates are also welcome. You can learn about the Working Group here.
How do I join the Working Group?
You can articulate ideas about the Election Protection Jail & Post-Release Voting Working and subscribe to the Working Group listserv, by completing this online form or by emailing EP-Jail-Post-Release-Voting-Co-Leads@PLAN.lawyer.
How do I participate on the VOICE board?
If you are an advocate who has been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, and you would like to learn more about VOICE (Voting to Overcome Incarceration and Carceral Experiences) board participation, email VOICE@jailhouse.lawyer.
How do I get involved in voting rights work locally?
The Portal webpage for each state and the District of Columbia features the efforts of leading state and local initiatives that are impacted-led, or meaningfully center the work of impacted advocates. Contact information for these trusted state and local partners are provided on the Portal webpage for their area.
I’m an attorney or advocate. How can I help develop or maintain Portal resources?
To ask about pro bono and other volunteer opportunities, contact the Prisoners Legal Advocacy Network Foundation’s Pro Bono Initiatives: Pro-Bono@PLAN.fund.
Are the Working Group voting Guides usable in paper format for incarcerated voters?
The Guides for potential voters who have been impacted by the criminal legal system are designed with incarcerated users in mind. Hyperlinks are spelled out so that incarcerated individuals may contact people on the outside to seek help accessing further information. Internal Guide hyperlinks are followed by page numbers that cross-reference relevant sections.
How can my incarcerated ally or loved one access a Guide?
Guides can be downloaded from the Portal for mailing to individuals who may not have access to the Internet. Working Group partners mail Guides inside, and use them in on-site facility programs, in some cases. Efforts are under way to add these Guides to tablets in some places.
Why are the Guides for presently and formerly incarcerated voters so long?
Each state Guide for presently and formerly incarcerated voters has been developed with the intent of serving as a comprehensive resource for potential voters and their advocates. The goal is for voters and their advocates to be able to access all or most of the voting information and materials they may need in one place. Particularly for incarcerated voters and inside organizers, this approach may prevent delays that may result from mailing voting questions and form requests. It may also be helpful for advocates and hotline volunteers who have limited time to help potential voters find all or most of the information they may need in one location.
- Shorter 1-2 paged summaries are provided on the state webpage or at the end of the Guide in some cases (Appendix 1).
- The contact information for trusted state and local advocacy organizations (Appendix 2) and county election officials are provided (Appendix 4).
- Where it is lawful to distribute voter registration or absentee ballot request forms, those materials are appended to the Guide (Appendix 3).
- Relevant provisions of law are excerpted in Appendix 5.
- For states that require people to complete a rights restoration process to restore their voting rights, related information is provided in Appendix 6.
Why is some information repeated in the Guides?
The Guides are organized by stage of system-involvement: pre-trial, serving time, post-release supervision, rights restoration (if applicable), and following completion of a person’s sentence. Each section is designed to stand alone. This is intended to save users time, and to save outside allies postage costs by enabling them to print and mail only the content that is relevant for incarcerated users. As a result, some information appears in several sections.
How do I know which sections are relevant for someone?
To determine which section applies to a specific person, review the “Relevant Sections” chart that appears at the beginning of each Guide. This Chart specifies which sections of the Guide applies to people at each stage of system-involvement.
What if I have more questions about voting eligibility or how to cast a ballot?
Contact information for county election officials and trusted local advocacy organizations appear at the end each Guide. If in doubt, potential voters may also want to seek the advice of an attorney or other professional.