Give Parolees the Right To Vote!!

Help the ACLU and Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition

Colorado Parolees Deserve the Right to Vote
We need your help with Senate Bill 83 ASAP!
SB 83 will be heard on the Senate floor early
Friday morning. That’s why you need to act now.

Find your senator's contact info by going to http://www.leg.state.co.us and
click on the legislative directory for the Senate.
SB 83 is about treating people fairly and increasing access to voting.
One of the important parts of the bill will allow parolees to vote.
There is some evidence from other states that voting is an important part of
reintroduction into society.
SB 83 brings more consistency to Colorado policy around voting
eligibility of people involved in the criminal justice system.
Currently, people on probation and people in jail serving a
misdemeanor sentence are allowed to vote. Since people on parole, like
people on probation, are living in the community, working and paying
taxes, parolees should have the right to vote, too.

Voting is one of the critical components to becoming a full member
of society. Since one of the critical goals is for people to
successfully reintegrate back into the community following
incarceration, allowing people on parole to vote is one way to create
an opportunity for civic participation and social connection.
It may play a role in reducing repeat offenses. The Colorado constitution says
that persons confined in prison may not vote, but it leaves the voting rights
of parolees at the discretion of the legislature, granting that body the power
to define “term of imprisonment.”

The Colorado Supreme Court recently confirmed this by stating, “...parole is part of the
incarcerated person’s sentence when the General Assembly so provides.”
Previous legislatures saw fit to disenfranchise parolees by voting to define
parole as part of the "term of imprisonment."

Today, our General Assembly has an opportunity to reverse that
misguided decision of years past. Opponents, however, don't want the
issue to make it to a vote, preferring instead to
rip the language from the bill entirely.
Don’t let them get away with it. SB 83 will be heard on the Senate floor early
Friday morning. That’s why you need to act now.

Call your state senator now and urge him or her to support parolee voting.
Find your senator's contact info by going to http://www.leg.state.co.us and
click on the legislative directory for the Senate.

By making your voice heard now, you can help all Coloradans have their voices heard at the polls.