Testimony
Testimony in Support of Guaranteeing Voting Access to Individuals Released from State Prisons
Enacting House Bill 115 would be part of Maryland’s long arc to guarantee voting rights for persons impacted by the criminal legal system.
Related to: Voting Rights, State Advocacy
Maryland is among twenty-six states and Washington, DC that expanded voting rights to citizens with felony convictions since 1997, Maryland expanded voting rights to persons completing their sentence on felony probation and parole in 2016.
Proposed legislation would ensure voting access to individuals released from state correctional facilities.
House Bill 115 includes several provisions to:
- Require the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to send a weekly list of individuals released from state correctional facilities to the State Board of Elections.
- Require the State Board of Election to identify individuals registered to vote prior to incarceration and restore their voter registration at their new address, granting them active voter status.
- Ensure that each individual receives a voter notification card detailing their registration status and eligibility to vote in all elections, along with instructions for declining registration or updating their address.
The Sentencing Project’s Senior Director of Advocacy Nicole D. Porter submitted testimony endorsing House Bill 115 and urging its favorable report.
Read the testimony here.
