LINCOLN, Neb. – Thousands of people who are incarcerated in Nebraska’s county jails will have access to voting rights information this week thanks to a mass mailing organized by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska and reentry organization RISE. Educational pamphlets produced by the organizations began arriving at the jails yesterday.
The mailed information, which is also available at aclunebraska.org/voting-answers, helps Nebraskans understand whether they are eligible to vote and what steps they need to take to ensure they can cast a ballot.
The mailing follows the Nebraska Supreme Court’s decision last week that elections officials must let Nebraskans with past felony convictions vote so long as they have completed all terms of their sentence and are otherwise eligible.
Project organizers say the jail-focused effort will help provide clarity for Nebraskans who may not know how or if a charge or conviction impacts their rights, complementing ongoing coalition efforts to reach newly enfranchised voters in the community.
ACLU of Nebraska Policy Fellow Jason Witmer made this statement:
“We completely understand that voting rights can be confusing for those in jail around election time,” Witmer said. “The main point we want to get across is that even though you are in jail, you may be eligible to vote. Misdemeanors do not impact voting rights, and on top of that, if you have a felony conviction on your record and you have finished all terms of your sentence, you can also vote. There are so many reasons to be a voter this year. We hope this resource helps clear up confusion so that all eligible voters can use their power and be heard.”
RISE Director of Public Policy and Advocacy Jasmine Harris made this statement:
“We have many people who are sitting in our county jails who have not been convicted of a crime, but can’t pay bail to be out,” Harris said. “These individuals still have their right to vote. We want to ensure everyone who has their right to vote has the opportunity and ability to participate.”
The ACLU of Nebraska has sent voting rights information to county jails for each statewide election since 2020. Grant funding from ACLU National and the Nebraska Civic Engagement Table covered the cost of this mailing and a similar effort ahead of this spring’s primary election.
