ELECTION PROTECTION
​JAIL & POST-RELEASE VOTING WORKING GROUP

The PLAN Foundation advances participatory democracy by protecting the franchise among eligible system-impacted voters.


The PLAN Foundation does so, in part, through litigation, direct services, and the publication of cost-free legal resources.  The press release for PLAN's current jail voting litigation can be found here.  The complaint is here.  The PLAN Foundation recently produced jail-based voting toolkits with the Legal Defense Fund.  Those toolkits can be accessed here and here.


The Lawyers For Equal Access To Advocacy & Dignity Foundation Incorporated, which also operates as the Prisoners Legal Advocacy Network Foundation ("PLAN Foundation"), also administers the non-partisan Election Protection Jail & Post-Release Voting Working Group in partnership with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under LawNAACP Legal Defense Fund, National Association of Criminal Defense LawyersThe Sentencing ProjectCommon CauseState VoicesCampaign Legal Center’s Restore Your Vote Program, The Advancement Project, The League of Women Voters of Florida and Virginia, Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund, and New Jersey Institute of Social Justice. This Working Group is a program of Election Protection, the largest nonpartisan coalition that protects, advances, and defends the right to vote in the U.S. 


The Working Group informs presently and formerly incarcerated voters of their voting rights under the law, assists system-impacted voters in overcoming barriers they encounter in their exercise of these rights, and advocates for the expansion of these voting rights. It also develops Know Your Rights guides for system-impacted voters and provides them free of charge to eligible incarcerated and formerly incarcerated voters.


The Working group also develops and promulgates: 

  • Guides for the development and implementation of programs for system-impacted voters, 
  • Template materials for legislative reform and advocacy to restore or expand the voting rights of individuals directly impacted by the criminal legal system, and
  • Litigation guides for practitioners who assist system-impacted voters in the exercise of their voting rights.

The Working Group operates the Election Protection Jail & Post-Release Voting Command Center during state and national elections. This Command Center refers calls received by the 866ourvote hotline from system-impacted voters to subject matter experts to determine voting eligibility. If necessary, the Command Center refers cases to state Election Protection coalition partners to bring emergency litigation to protect the voting rights of presently and formerly incarcerated voters.

As the administrator of this Working Group, PLAN maintains the Election Protection Jail & Post Release Voting Portal. This online platform advises presently and formerly incarcerated voters of their voting rights and how to exercise them. It also provides programming and practice guides for practitioners and advocates who work to defend and advance jail and post-release voting rights.


JOIN THE WORKING GROUP

Learn more about PLAN's other initiatives.


Illustration Credit:

Natalie Wade Media14East Magazine

© 2016-2024 Lawyers For Equal Access To Advocacy & Dignity Foundation Incorporated, which also operates as the 

Prisoners Legal Advocacy Network Foundation ("PLAN Foundation")

244 5th Avenue  ♦  Suite 2517  ♦  New York, NY 10001

+1-833-654-PLAN

Info@PLAN.lawyer