Penmate Inmate Support Guides

Can Inmates at SCORE Vote? Rights and How the Jail Helps

• 2 min read • scorejail.org
Can Inmates at SCORE Vote? Rights and How the Jail Helps

Eligibility Rights

  • ✓ The inmate is a citizen of the United States.
  • ✓ The inmate is a resident of the county.
  • ✓ The inmate will be at least 18 years old by the time of the next election.
  • ✓ The inmate has not been declared mentally incompetent by a court.
  • ✓ The inmate is awaiting trial or currently on trial for a criminal offense.
  • ✓ The inmate is serving time for a traffic or misdemeanor offense, or serving as a condition of probation.

Two situations disqualify someone from voting at SCORE. Anyone convicted of a felony and sentenced to state prison cannot vote while incarcerated. The same applies to anyone currently on parole for a felony conviction.

Before each election, SCORE's Director assigns a Captain to work with the local registrar of voters. That Captain helps inmates who want to vote navigate the process.

When ballots arrive at SCORE, staff deliver them to inmates promptly. The goal is straightforward: protect every eligible inmate's right to vote by keeping the process on schedule.

  1. Complete the ballot - once SCORE delivers the ballot, the inmate fills it out.
  2. Return it to corrections staff - the inmate gives the completed ballot back to corrections staff.
  3. Staff mails it - corrections staff handles mailing the ballot out.

Postage: SCORE covers mailing costs for indigent inmates. If you're not classified as indigent, you'll need to pay for postage yourself.

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