Washington, D.C. Board of Elections assists voters in jail

various staff from the washington, d.c. board of elections went to the d.c. jail and to the correctional treatment facility. their efforts helped allow eligible individuals cast absentee ballots during the june 14 primary there.

washington, d.c. is one of only a handful of jurisdictions to facilitate voting in jail. the program was started in 2004 primarily due to the efforts of charles sullivan of citizens united for rehabilitation of errants (cure), who advocated for onsite absentee voting programs.

the board of elections also distributes voter guides with information on the candidates prior to voting day. "the vast majority of the 700,000 people in local jails are eligible to vote since they are either awaiting trial or serving time on a misdemeanor conviction, but not a felony," said marc mauer, executive director of the sentencing project.

mauer also said, "but there are only a handful of jails in the country where there's any ongoing effort to make the voting process accessible to this group of people, so the district of columbia is a leader in this regard." 

the sentencing project works for a fair and effective u.s. justice system by promoting reforms in sentencing policy, addressing unjust racial disparities and practices, and advocating for alternatives to incarceration.