The vast majority of adult citizens in California county jails have the right to vote, yet these voters experience unique obstacles when they reach for the ballot box. As a result, many eligible voters are disenfranchised each election purely because they are in jail. This toolkit describes strategies that concerned community advocates, county elections offices, and sheriffs can use to break down barriers to democracy by helping people in county jails to register and vote.
This project is a collaboration between ACLU of Northern California, ACLU of Southern California, and the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund, as well as our partners at the Alameda Public Defender’s Office, A New Way of Life Reentry Project, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, Pillars of the Community, and the Santa Cruz County Elections Office.
Jail Voting Toolkit
2022 Elections Cover Letter (English)
Voting in California Jails: A Community Toolkit (English)
Carta de presentación de las elecciones de 2022 (Spanish)
Votando en la Carcel en California: Conjunto de Herramientas (Spanish)
Jail Voting Resource Bank
Jail voting program information and sample materials
Jail voting policies of county elections offices’ and sheriffs’ departments
Contact information for county elections offices and sheriffs’ departments
California jail voting listserv – sign up here!