Voting Resources
In early 2021, an Executive Order (EO) on Promoting Access to Voting was issued requiring the Bureau of Prisons (Bureau) to make voter registration accessible for eligible inmates. Presently only Maine, Vermont, and the District of Columbia (DC) allow incarcerated individuals to vote, however, the EO also requires the Bureau to provide access to educational materials to releasing individuals from all states.
To ensure compliance with the EO, Bureau institutions are required to make voter registration material and information accessible to all inmates, including notifying inmates of any restrictions their state may have on their ability to vote. All new arrivals are advised of their voting rights while incarcerated. Forms and information on voting rights for inmates from Maine, Vermont and DC are posted on TRULINCS, and are also available in the resource libraries. As part of the Bureau's Release Preparation Program, information on voting rights during incarceration is repeated and voting rights post incarceration is provided.