California Fails to Guarantee Voting Rights

Washington, DC  – After The Sentencing Project’s recent report on the 97,000 Californians who are banned from voting while serving a prison term for a felony conviction in state, federal, or local facilities, Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to veto AB 544, a bill aimed at guaranteeing voting rights to incarcerated individuals in California’s county jails is disappointing to say the least. This veto is a critical misstep, preventing thousands of justice-involved Californians, particularly from Black and brown communities from exercising their fundamental right to vote. AB 544 would have been a step toward dismantling a history of systemic voter suppression and building a truly inclusive democracy.

“We are deeply disappointed by Governor Newsom’s decision to veto AB 544. This bill represented a crucial step toward ensuring that all Californians, regardless of their incarceration status, have the right to participate in our democracy. The people currently incarcerated, disproportionately Black, brown, and underserved, are those who have been systematically denied this right for too long,” said Nicole D. Porter, senior director of advocacy at The Sentencing Project. “In a state that prides itself on progressivism, Governor Newsom’s veto highlights the ongoing challenges in ensuring that the voices of those most impacted by the criminal legal system are heard. This decision undermines efforts to create a more equitable and multi-racial democracy in California.’

The Sentencing Project would like to thank California advocates including those at Initiate Justice, Ella Baker Center, and the League of Women Voters of California for their advocacy to pass AB 544. The Sentencing Project released a brief on the felony voting right ban in California earlier this year, detailing the ramifications faced by the 97,000 Californians who cannot vote while serving time for a felony conviction thanks to the state’s Constitution. California’s disenfranchisement rate ranks second highest in the region among states that only exclude imprisoned people from the ballot. AB 544 creates a grant program for San Benito, San Mateo, and Santa Cruz counties to develop in-person voter programs in jail facilities.