Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill Friday that would allow election officials to bring voting services to county detention centers and jails for statewide general elections.
The nationwide program is the first of its kind handful Jails in various parts of the country now offer in-person voting to eligible residents.
According to Colorado Secretary of State spokesman Jack Todd, the measure would offer in-person voting for the November election in about 61 prisons and detention centers in Colorado.
While Colorado prohibits those serving life-time felony convictions from voting, it is legal for inmates awaiting trial or serving a felony sentence to vote in the state.
State Sen. Julie Gonzalez, a Democrat who sponsored the bill, said lawmakers have seen eligible voters not participate in the general vote because of the logistical hurdles behind bars.
“In Colorado, we’re really proud of our gold star election system,” Gonzalez said. “However, we realized that there was a group of people who were not able to fully get on the ballot.”
The law requires law enforcement and election officials to offer six hours of in-person voting and services that allow people with disabilities to register to vote. Eligible voters will also have a way to return mail-in ballots if they prefer to vote that way.
County clerks will serve as poll workers, and the legislation also provides access to Department of Corrections information to ensure that election officials with criminal convictions are ineligible to vote.
Restoring voting rights to the millions of Americans who have completed their sentences has been a popular policy proposition in recent years, but few states have taken steps to encourage political engagement behind bars.
Voting rights advocates have long argued that voting from behind bars can be difficult, even though many Americans are eligible.
Federal data shows nearly half a million people are behind bars and awaiting trial By mid-2022, the latest information available. Those who are citizens and have no felony convictions on their record retain their rights, as do most felons.
“One of the things we heard from people who were formerly incarcerated was that it was so important to them to be able to have a say in this election that they were still part of the organization even though they were going through the criminal justice system. a community, a citizen of Colorado, and they still have rights and responsibilities,” Gonzalez said.