WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Sentencing Project released a report Wednesday detailing how, even when incarcerated people have the legal right to vote, significant barriers still prevent them from casting ballots in prison.
The organization conducted its research in Maine and Vermont, the only two states where people in prison retain the right to vote, besides Washington, D.C. (although it is possible to request absentee ballots in other states).
The Sentencing Project is a nonprofit that advocates for reducing incarceration and criminalization by promoting social justice.
In its report, the group emphasizes the importance of protecting voting rights, especially among incarcerated populations.
“While voting is a cornerstone of American democracy, an estimated 1 million citizens cannot vote because they are completing a felony-level sentence in prison,” the organization stated. “Given racial disparities in incarceration, people of color are disproportionately blocked from the ballot box due to voting bans for people with a felony-level conviction.”
Even in states like Maine and Vermont, the group found “troubling disconnects” between the number of people legally eligible to vote and those who actually do.
Nearly 75% of those surveyed said voting while in prison was important to them, yet almost 50% admitted they did not know how to vote from within their facility.
The report identifies a range of barriers to voting in prison, including a lack of knowledge about voting rights and a lack of guidance through the complex absentee voting process.
Many incarcerated people also lacked access to information about candidates, election dates and deadlines.
Facility staff, the group found, were often not trained on the voting rights of incarcerated individuals, limiting their ability to provide assistance.
The Sentencing Project also documented logistical challenges, largely stemming from inadequate prison infrastructure.
Facilities often lacked the necessary documents to vote, such as registration forms and ballot request materials.
Further obstacles included delays in the prison mail system and staff shortages that hindered the ability to support voter access behind bars.
While the report noted that Maine and Vermont Department of Corrections staffs showed support for voting rights, it also recommended several policy changes to better ensure access to the ballot.
One recommendation was the creation of on-site polling locations in prisons, following the model of successful programs in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Houston.
The report also urged expanded education on voting rights and absentee ballot procedures for incarcerated residents, along with better training for corrections staff.
Candidate information should be made more accessible, the group said, potentially through candidate forums held within prisons.
Corrections staff should also facilitate access to government websites so that incarcerated people can register to vote, request ballots and track their submissions, according to the report.
The voting process in jails is further complicated by the rapid turnover of the jail population. The average stay is just 32 days, a level of transience that presents unique challenges, the report noted.
Still, the report concludes that voting in prisons is achievable.
“Turnout in jails with on-site polling locations has surpassed citywide turnout rates in places like Cook County, Illinois, and Washington, D.C.,” the group stated. “The successful implementation of jail-based voting demonstrates that prison-based voting is possible.”
In closing, the report stresses that protecting the right to vote in prison is essential to democracy and that every eligible citizen should have access to the ballot, regardless of incarceration status.
“I believe strongly voting is a fundamental right for every American citizen,” one incarcerated Maine resident told The Sentencing Project. “Being incarcerated does not mean you forfeit that right, so I voted in here and will most definitely vote out of here.”
