New Bill To Bring Voting Access to Jails
9/26/2024 | 2mVideo has Closed Captions
A new bill aims to bring voting access to California's jails.
California's Assembly Bill 544 proposes a pilot program to facilitate voting for inmates in three counties. While people in county jails can vote if they haven't been convicted or are awaiting trial, barriers like mail delays often prevent participation. The initiative aims to ensure that eligible incarcerated individuals can exercise their democratic rights.
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SoCal Matters is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal
New Bill To Bring Voting Access to Jails
9/26/2024 | 2mVideo has Closed Captions
California's Assembly Bill 544 proposes a pilot program to facilitate voting for inmates in three counties. While people in county jails can vote if they haven't been convicted or are awaiting trial, barriers like mail delays often prevent participation. The initiative aims to ensure that eligible incarcerated individuals can exercise their democratic rights.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship-It's your duty to vote.
You can't sit there and complain about somebody's policies later on that year.
You didn't do nothing about it when you h.. -This is Thomas Neal, who is incarcerated in a San Bruno jail.
Neal says that voting has always been important to him.
He sees it as his civic duty.
-At least if I vote, I have the right to complain about this.
-Most California jails don't offer in-person voting, and voting by mail can be challenging.
Due to lengthy mail screening, some don't get voter guides in time.
That's why Isaac Bryan, a Democratic lawmaker from Culver City, introduced Assembly Bill 544.
The bill would start a pilot program for in-jail voting in three counties and awaits a decision by the governor.
-Right now, California Code currently allows for incarcerated people who have not been convicted of any wrongdoing or are only in our jails because they couldn't afford to bail or bond out, allows them to participate in democracy, but our jails are not set up to facilitate elections in a healthy and inclusive way.
-A big push at the San Francisco County Jail involves convincing those incarcerated that they really can vote.
Melinda Benson, Director of Prison Legal Services for the San Francisco Sheriff's Office, said every eligible person incarcerated in California should have an opportunity to vote.
-I can explain the eligibility laws to an incarcerated person, and often they will not believe me.
They're like, "But I am a felon.
I can't vote," when in fact that person is totally eligible to vote.
-In California, about 60% of the 78,000 people in county jail in 2023 had not been convicted of a crime.
According to the Prison Policy Initiative, anyone not serving a felony sentence is eligible to vote in California.
If Governor Gavin Newsom signs the bill before the September 30th deadline, the pilot programs would be for elections in 2026 through 2028.
With CalMatters, I'm Sameea Kamal.
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SoCal Matters is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal