TODAY: Advocates testify in support of prison voting access bills

Advocates and directly impacted residents will testify on Thursday, March 7 in support of HB 1022, a legislative proposal that would expand political rights to Marylanders that are serving or have served time in jails and prisons. 

HB 1022 would work to guarantee ballot access for eligible voters in local correctional facilities by supporting and facilitating jail and prison voter registration and voting initiatives. 

WHAT: Judiciary Committee hearing on HB 1022

WHO: Testimony from advocates including Keshia Morris Desir, Justice and Democracy Manager at Common Cause, and directly impacted residents. Desir’s prepared testimony on behalf of the National Voting in Prison Coalition is included below.

WHEN: Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 1 PM

WHERE: House Office Building, Room 100, Annapolis, MD

HB 627, a bill that would guarantee voting rights for justice-impacted residents by expanding automatic voter registration policies to include prisons, jails, and probation and parole offices, is also endorsed by the National Voting in Prison Coalition. That bill was passed by the Elections Subcommittee in February and is currently awaiting a vote in the full committee. 

For more information about the National Voting in Prison Coalition’s support of HB 1022, click here.

“The National Voting in Prison Coalition (NVPC) is a coalition of national and state organizations working to support national, state, and local campaigns to guarantee voting rights to persons completing their sentence inside and outside of prison and subjected to felony disenfranchisement. The NVPC’s advocacy supports strategies to guarantee political rights for justice-impacted residents through expanding automatic voter registration policies to include prisons, jails, and probation and parole offices. NVPC members also work to guarantee ballot access for eligible voters in local correctional facilities to support and facilitate jail and prison voter registration and voting initiatives.

The National Voting in Prison Coalition supports the passage of HB 1022 to guarantee the voting rights of all eligible Americans in our elections. As Maryland begins to consider rights restoration for incarcerated people, we encourage you to assess the importance of a true representative democracy, where we all have a fair say in the decisions that shape the lives of our children and families.

Americans have seen how our nation’s prison system has been used to silence the voices of millions of Americans at the ballot box. According to the Sentencing Project, more than 16,000 Marylanders are currently disenfranchised due to criminal convictions in Maryland. It is time to give these Americans a voice in our democracy.

HB 1022 serves as a beacon of hope for Maryland’s most silenced populations currently disenfranchised due to criminal convictions. These individuals, despite being most impacted by the criminal legal system, remain voiceless in our nation’s electoral process. Polling by The Sentencing Project, Stand Up America, Common Cause, and State Innovation Exchange revealed that most Americans believe the right to vote should be an inalienable right for all Americans, extending to those who are currently serving sentences, both within and outside of prison walls.

HB 1022 is a long-overdue step towards fulfilling the promise of our democracy, where every American has a voice and a stake in shaping our nation’s future. The National Voting in Prison Coalition and allies urges members of the House and Senate to join us in supporting this essential legislation and ensuring that all Americans can participate fully in our democratic processes.

HB 1022 comprises a series of transformative measures designed to eradicate disenfranchisement and empower marginalized communities, including:

• Expansion of voting rights to Marylanders completing their sentences inside prison;
• Establishes a Voting Rights Ombudsman for incarcerated people within the State Board of Elections to oversee the implementation and make recommendations to assist in facilitating voting by incarcerated individuals;
• Establishes a toll-free voter hotline for people in prison to receive information about voting, request voting materials, and report voting rights violations.

HB 1022 represents a bold step towards a more just and equitable society, where the right to vote is not a privilege reserved for a select few but a fundamental right guaranteed to all Americans. By dismantling the barriers that bar tens of thousands of Marylanders from participating in our democracy, we can move closer to realizing the true essence of American democracy – a system of government that truly represents the will of all its people.

Thank you for your consideration of this critical step towards an inclusive democracy.”