The Alameda County Public Defender’s Office believes that the voices of incarcerated people are critically important and must be represented in our elections. Unfortunately, many incarcerated people incorrectly believe that they are not allowed to vote.
VOICE empowers eligible incarcerated individuals to vote by providing voting rights education, directly aiding with voter registration, and advocating to expand voting rights to all incarcerated people.
We continually work to improve access to voting for incarcerated people in Santa Rita Jail with the support of the Alameda County Sheriff Office’s Inmate Services unit. Founded in November of 2016, VOICE registered over 1,000 incarcerated people to vote in its first three years.
Can I vote?
Please see the chart and video below for details about who can and cannot legally vote.
(Note: You must also be age 18 or older by the next election day, a U.S. Citizen, and a California resident.)