The three leading Democrats running for governor and local elected officials Monday called for Massachusetts to do a better job in encouraging incarcerated people, as well as those leaving prison, to exercise their right to vote. The event was designed to influence next week’s State Senate vote, which is expected to make voting by mail permanent and institute same-day voter registration.
Advocates for the rights of the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated want the Senate to incorporate stronger language into their voting reform bill to ensure that eligible voters in jail can cast ballots and that all prisoners have access to voter enrollment, information about elections and their own eligibility for voting. The advocacy group, Democracy Behind Bars Coalition, describes enfranchisement for the incarcerated as an issue of racial and social justice.
Current practice, said State Rep. Liz Miranda of Roxbury, is literally — “not just figuratively” — stripping away the political power of Black and brown communities.
Lawmakers will consider an amendment from Pittsfield Sen. Adam Hinds that would require sheriffs and the Department of Correction to send information about eligible incarcerated voters to state elections officials. Hinds’ legislation would also require correctional officials to send individual inmates information about their rights, distribute registration forms and absentee ballots to all eligible voters and assure the votes are collected and transferred to election officials. The language would also make offices of correction automatic voter registration agencies.
"Massachusetts is not immune from having citizens denied meaningful access to the ballot when they're detained, pretrial on misdemeanor conviction, civilly committed and the like," Hinds said.
The social justice aspect of the voting issue attracted the attention of several Democratic candidates for statewide office who are competing to win support from progressive activists. Hinds himself is reportedly considering running for lieutenant governor next year and was joined by gubernatorial candidates Danielle Allen, Sonia Chang-Díaz and Ben Downing.
During the press conference call, Allen said activists shouldn't spend time reminding people why the vote itself is important.
"We should be rather making the point that a fundamental commitment already made is being withheld," she said. "It is de facto disenfranchisement. It is simply unacceptable."
Downing agreed, saying, "It's not enough to start to talk to our neighbors about re-entry and their rights as they approach leaving the facilities."
Of the candidates, State Sen. Chang-Díaz will have the opportunity to vote for Hinds' amendment next week when the Senate debates the wide-ranging elections package.
"If we say on paper that people have the right to vote, but we see in practice that that right is about as real as it was for Black voters in the Jim Crow South, we have to do something about it," Chang-Díaz said.
