JAILS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY HAVE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED POLLING PLACES AND HAVE SEEN HIGH TURNOUT ENGAGEMENT.
COLORADO
According to the Colorado Secretary of State, approximately 2,600 eligible incarcerated voters cast ballots from jail in the 2024 general election — a dramatic increase compared over prior years and building off of 2024 win, incarcerated voter provision on protected status included in 2025 state Voting Rights Act. Mandated in-person polling stations in every jail.
DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS
Dallas created an Election Day polling site which dramatically increased voter participation. In 2020, only thirty-four people voted in the presidential election. By 2023, in a May municipal special election using the new poll- site, in-person votes alone were approximately 59% of the 2020 general election vote in the jail, and had surpassed 2022 general election numbers. Countywide turnout in 2020 was 66%, while the special election turnout countywide was only 9%.
COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS
Illinois implemented the nation’s first jail-based polling place in 2020 with a jail population of over 5,000 people. The success of their program in Chicago has led to extremely high voter turnout in the jail; in the June 2022 primary, the jail population voted at a higher rate (25%) than the city of Chicago (20%).
HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS
Harris County developed a pilot program to allow people in county jail to vote at a jail-based polling place. During this year of the pilot program 96 of the 100 eligible voters exercised their right to vote in the county’s local elections.
CONNECTICUT
House Bill 7229 passed to ensure that incarcerated people who remain legally eligible to vote can more easily request and cast absentee ballots while in detention or jail.