Case Study  

Jail-Based Voting in Denver: A Case Study

In this latest report on providing access to registration and voting for the hundreds of thousands of Americans being held in jails without having been convicted, Tova Wang looks at how Denver – and the State of Colorado – have become a model for the nation.

Man in green jumpsuit puts ballot in box in Denver jail
Credit: Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline

Hundreds of thousands of people are held in jail for pre-trial detention and misdemeanors who have full voting rights. Yet they are often denied actual access to registration or the ballot or don’t know they have the right to vote. As this brief explains, Denver is a model for the country on how to ensure voting rights for all its citizens, including those in jail who have not been convicted of a felony crime. This is the fourth in a series on providing an in-person voting experience for Americans in jails.

Learn More on Voting in Jails

Laws That Govern Jail-Based Voting: A 50-State Legal Review

Additional Resource

Laws That Govern Jail-Based Voting: A 50-State Legal Review

As part of the Ash Center’s ongoing work examining the legal, political, and policy implications of advancing jail-based voting, Aaron Rosewood and Tova Wang examine the statutory basis for jail voting in each state.

More from this Program

Engaging Fans, Empowering Voters: How Professional Sports are Promoting Civic Engagement
Photo of a sports stadium from the perspective of someone in the stands

Video

Engaging Fans, Empowering Voters: How Professional Sports are Promoting Civic Engagement

The Ash Center hosted a discussion with representatives of the NBA, NFL Votes, the co-founder of Vet the Vote, and the Deputy Secretary of State of Georgia to discuss how these partnerships are succeeding at supporting voter participation and fair and secure elections.

More on this Issue

Milestone or Misstep? Corruption, Development, and Democracy After Brazil’s Lava Jato Probe
people in Brazil take to the streets

Additional Resource

Milestone or Misstep? Corruption, Development, and Democracy After Brazil’s Lava Jato Probe

This case explores Brazil’s Operation Car Wash (Lava Jato in Portuguese), the largest public corruption investigation in history, which led to indictments and convictions of some 359 business executives, government officials, and political leaders from the ruling elite in Brazil.