Women in Denver County Jail share mixed emotions as they register to vote

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Diana won’t let the maroon jumpsuit and locked cell door at the Denver County Jail stop her from casting a ballot in the 2024 presidential election.

“I want to make sure my voice gets heard,” said Diana, a 19-year-old incarcerated woman.

Since 2016, Denver Elections Division staff have visited the county’s two jails every month in order to register folks in custody to vote.

The Denver Elections Division submitted 136 ballots from county jails in 2020, and 134 ballots in 2023. So far, in 2024, the jail has registered 261 people to vote in both Denver jails. As of Sept 4, Denver jails had 632 people in custody at the Denver County Jail and 1,219 people in custody at the Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center, also called the Downtown Detention Center.

The Colorado Legislature followed Denver’s lead and passed a bill in 2024 mandating in-person voting for eligible voters at county jail around the state.

Read more at rmpbs.org

#voting #colorado #criminaljustice #election

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