Campaign Legal Center and Vote.org Join Forces to Educate People with Past Felony Convictions About Their Voting Rights
WASHINGTON – Campaign Legal Center (CLC) will partner with Vote.org to reach millions of Americans with past felony convictions by increasing their access to information about their voting eligibility – in time for 2020 presidential primary voter registration deadlines.
Vote.org is one of the top voter registration and turnout organizations in the country. CLC’s website, RestoreYourVote.org, provides well-researched, state-specific information and resources to guide people with past felony convictions and help them take the steps needed to restore their rights.
“Our democracy works best when all eligible citizens can vote without barriers, and those who have paid their debt to society deserve a second chance,” said Danielle Lang, co-director of voting rights and redistricting at CLC. “While many states have some restriction on voting rights for people with felony convictions, most states restore the right to vote to citizens after they complete their sentences. In fact, up to 18 million Americans with past felony convictions could vote today, they just may not realize it because felony disenfranchisement laws in every state can be confusing. In order to have an active electorate, you must have an informed electorate that knows its rights. Our partnership with Vote.org guarantees we will reach more eligible voters with this information in time for the 2020 presidential primary registration deadlines.”
When people with past felony convictions visit Vote.org, they will now be directed to CLC’s RestoreYourVote.org to understand if they can vote. And when eligible voters visit RestoreYourVote.org, they’ll be prompted to use Vote.org’s best-in-class tools to register to vote and those who do register will be sent Vote.org’s proven election reminders and get-out-the-vote outreach.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Campaign Legal Center’s Restore Your Vote project to reach this important and often neglected segment of our electorate,” said Sarah Jackel, general counsel at Vote.org. “We know that in order to have a more representative electorate, we have to ensure that all eligible citizens – particularly those who have been historically disenfranchised and remain underrepresented in our electorate – can register and vote without informational barriers. By leveraging what we both do best, we’re confident that together Vote.org and CLC can increase voter turnout among those with felony convictions in 2020 and beyond.”
For more information about using the tool, or about potential partnerships, email: [email protected].
--
- Campaign Legal Center is a nonpartisan nonprofit based in Washington D.C. Through litigation, policy analysis, state-based advocacy and public education, CLC works to protect and strengthen the U.S. democratic process across all levels of government.
- CLC’s Restore Your Vote Campaign restores voting rights to people with past convictions by providing direct rights restoration services, empowering community leaders to understand rights restoration laws, and breaking down the false notion that a felony conviction always means you cannot vote. RestoreYourVote.org is a web tool to help Americans with past felony convictions understand their voting rights.