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Bill

S 5972

Relates to authorizing voting by incarcerated individuals in correctional facilities; repealer

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Robert Jackson and 3 co-sponsors

Repeals voting bans on incarcerated individuals and authorizes them to vote, expanding the franchise for inmates in correctional facilities and enabling in-facility voting.

REFERRED TO ELECTIONS
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Bill Summary · S 5972

Summary of S 5972 — Relates to authorizing voting by incarcerated individuals in correctional facilities; repealer

Overview

  • Bill Number: S 5972
  • Title: Relates to authorizing voting by incarcerated individuals in correctional facilities; repealer
  • Status: REFERRED TO ELECTIONS
  • Introduced: March 4, 2025
  • Classification: bill
  • Related bills: S 6821 (prior-session), S 5755 (prior-session), S 7348 (prior-session); A 4973 (companion)

Purpose and intent

  • The bill is designed to repeal prohibitions on voting by individuals who are incarcerated in correctional facilities and to authorize their participation in elections. In other words, it seeks to expand voting rights for people who are currently detained or incarcerated, by removing existing legal barriers and establishing authority or procedures for incarcerated individuals to cast ballots.

Key provisions (based on title and status)

  • Repealer: The bill would repeal statutory provisions that currently prohibit incarcerated individuals from voting.
  • Authorization: It would authorize incarcerated individuals in correctional facilities to vote.
  • Specific procedural details (e.g., who qualifies, how ballots are cast, registration requirements, accessibility within facilities, or election administration procedures) are not provided in the available summary. If enacted, the text would likely include mechanisms for registration, ballot access, and administration by election officials and/or corrections authorities.

Affected parties and entities

  • Incarcerated individuals eligible to vote under the new framework
  • State and local Boards of Elections
  • Correctional facility administrations and staff
  • Election officials responsible for administering in-facility voting (if applicable)

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Current status: Referred to Elections (as of introduction on March 4, 2025)
  • No subsequent actions or deadlines are listed in the provided information. If advanced, the bill would move through committee consideration, potential amendments, and votes in the Senate, and possibly transformation into a companion measure in the Assembly (as indicated by the related A 4973 companion).

Related and companion legislation

  • Companion: A 4973 (listed twice, indicating a companion measure in the Assembly)
  • Prior-session related bills: S 6821, S 5755, S 7348
  • These relationships suggest ongoing interest across sessions to expand voting rights for incarcerated individuals and to address related implementation details.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Voting rights expansion: The bill would broaden the franchise to include incarcerated residents, potentially affecting election participation and outcomes.
  • Administration and logistics: Implementation would require new procedures for in-facility voting, coordination between election authorities and correctional facilities, and potential budgeting for staffing, training, ballots, and accessibility.
  • Legal considerations: The repeal of prohibitions would need to align with constitutional requirements and any state-specific rules governing voting eligibility.
  • Equity implications: The measure could impact historically marginalized populations and contribute to addressing disenfranchisement concerns.

Notes

  • The summary above reflects the information provided. The full bill text would specify eligibility criteria (e.g., pretrial detainees vs. convicted inmates, sentence status), voting methods (in-person in facility, mail, or other), deadlines, registration processes, and any conditions or limits.

If you’d like, I can incorporate the exact language from the bill text once you provide it or if you’d like me to compare S 5972 with its companion and related bills to highlight convergences and differences.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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