Voters in Jail: Access to Justice and the Right to Vote Behind Bars

• In Event: Voting Rights and Transiency in Prisons and Jails

Abstract

The criminal legal system is charged with confining people against their will, while simultaneously preserving the basic civil right to vote – raising important questions of access to justice. Is it possible to meaningfully participate in elections while in state custody? How do correctional and election authorities navigate political and logistical obstacles to ensuring the right to vote is realized? Are there ways to expand engagement with the democratic process behind bars? To address these questions, this project draws on interview and survey data collected from Washington state, county, and jail officials as well as community advocates who visit jails during election season. The data reveal multi-faceted challenges to voter education, voter registration, and ballot logistics. By focusing on how those involved view their obligations, this project illuminates the inter-agency and cross-sector collaboration necessary to provide access to voting in WA state jails. In the process, the unique context of each jurisdiction emerges as a crucially important factor, as does county-level executive and state-level legislative leadership. The results of the study point to promising ways to better facilitate voting and voter registration in Washington jails.

Author

• Karin D. Martin, University of Washington