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.

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In Denver, a Model for Jail-Based Voting
photo of a hallway of a jail from behind bars

Feature

In Denver, a Model for Jail-Based Voting

Across the United States, hundreds of thousands of people in jail retain their right to vote while being held in pretrial detention, having not been convicted of a crime.