The Vote in NYC Jails Coalition, alongside public defenders, elected officials, advocates, community leaders, and directly impacted New Yorkers, held a rally on the steps of City Hall ahead of a City Council hearing on voting access for people incarcerated in New York City jails.

Despite clear legal protections for voting eligibility, many people detained in New York City jails continue to face significant barriers to casting a ballot. Coalition members and advocates have long raised concerns that the current absentee ballot system is insufficient to ensure equal access to the ballot for people held in custody.

Advocates argue that stronger systems and clearer processes are necessary to guarantee that eligible voters in city jails are able to register, request ballots, and cast votes that are counted. The City Council hearing provided an opportunity for lawmakers to examine existing challenges and consider solutions that ensure voting access for incarcerated New Yorkers.

“Far too many people held in New York City jails — despite being legally eligible — are effectively denied their right to vote because of systemic barriers and inadequate processes,” said Rigodis Appling, Staff an attorney with The Legal Aid Society’s Special Litigation Unit & Community Justice Unit. “Voting is a fundamental right, not a privilege contingent on circumstance.”

“The current absentee ballot system has consistently failed to ensure meaningful access for incarcerated New Yorkers,” she continued. “We urge City leaders to implement durable solutions, including the establishment of polling sites in jails, to guarantee that every eligible voter can fully participate in our democracy.”