VOting Rights
YES, FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE CAN VOTE!
People are eligible who are:
18 years old, U.S. citizens, and residents in Louisiana.
People convicted of a felony must be either:
No longer serving a sentence, or
On Probation, or
On parole for over 5 years.
The only people who are barred are either in prison, or actively on parole for less than 5 years.
To register:You must register in the parish you call home.
If you were never registered, you can get registered just like anyone else. Click this Link to get started! (must have a drivers license for online registration).
If you were previously registered, and spent time in prison, you will need a Voter Eligibility Certificate from any local Probation and Parole office (see map below). Bring that form to your local parish Registrar’s office (map below). You can register online, and bring in the Certificate, or you can fill out a registration form at the same time you bring in the Certificate.
If you were sentenced to a probation sentence, it does not impact your current voter registration (if you are a registered voter), and you will not need any extra paperwork to get registered.
You can also register at the Office of Motor Vehicles if you need to stop in for your driving or ID tasks.
VOTER PROTECTION HOTLINE
Eligibility FAQ
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YES, YOU CAN VOTE! Only felony convictions, with incarceration, impact your right to vote.
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YES, YOU CAN VOTE!
Has it been over a month since discharge of the sentence? You can register online or in person. (There is a chance that a recent discharge isn’t updated in the computers, so call to confirm). -
Were you registered to vote already? If so, you can vote normally like other friends or family without a conviction.
If you were not registered, you can register online (with a drivers license) or in person at your local parish registrar.
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You will need to re-register, and this time with a Voter Eligibility Certificate from any probation and parole office.
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If you are not on parole, you can go get registered and vote. If you are on parole, has it been 5 years? If so, you can vote. If not, you will need to wait until you are either off parole or it has been 5 years.
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Just like an out-of-state conviction, it is treated like a Louisiana conviction. Because very few people are on a long parole under the federal system, you are likely going to be disenfranchised until you complete the sentence.
If you only received federal probation, you can vote immediately!
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This is a gray area. Because the Reentry Court judge tossed out your previous sentence of prison (where you had vocational training and mentorship), and gave you a new sentence of probation, we read that to mean the prison sentence is terminated, and it is the probation sentence that controls the situation.
However, the State has also viewed the sentence as a combined sentence (prison + probation), and believe you must either finish the probation or wait 5 years after release. Of course, their interpretation will be the rule until a court tells them differently.
If you are interested in challenging this issue in court, please contact us.
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If you are not yet convicted of anything, and are not currently on probation or parole, you can vote by mail-in ballot.
If you have a parole hold, and have not been revoked yet, the same rules apply as if you were outside: Has it been 5 years of parole yet? If so, you can vote.
If you have a probation hold, and have not been revoked yet, the same rules apply as if you were outside.
If you are on probation and given an Administrative Sanction (not a revocation), you are still eligible to vote.
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If you were already registered, and it is up-to-date, you need to write to YOUR registrar where you are a registered voter, and request a mail ballot due to your incarceration. The sheriff at the jail needs to certify that you are in custody, so ask them to write a letter or note you can enclose with your request. REMEMBER: It is not the registrar of the parish where you are detained; it is the registrar of where you are a registered vote.
If it has been a few years, you have likely been moved to “inactive voter.” Just like if you are a new voter, you will need to register, by mail, through the parish registrar you call home. You can also list the jail as your home, and register in that parish. Beyond that, you will need to also request a mail-in ballot.
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Contact VOTE immediately so we can help you get things resolved. (504) 571-9599 or info@VoiceOfTheExperienced.org
The second half of the battle after winning voting policies is bringing our people to the voting polls. One way VOTE does this is by hitting the streets and knocking on doors. Our staff organizers, members and volunteers go to neighborhoods to register voters, inform about upcoming elections and the work of VOTE and, most importantly, educate the public on the rights of formerly incarcerated people.