Commentary: Bexar County officials have the opportunity to stand out as leaders in promoting equitable voting access in our jails.
, and the process of curing a rejected ballot is both difficult and time-sensitive. To correct a ballot in jail would require even tighter coordination between Jail administration and Election offices to ensure votes are ultimately counted.
Before accepting the mail-in ballot option as sufficient for those who are incarcerated, we should also have a clearer picture of how many inmates actually make ballot requests. If low numbers are encountered, we should demand greater effort at pro-active and well-resourced civic engagement inside the walls of the jail. Finally, there is currently no process in place for those detained and charged pretrial after the mail-in ballot deadline to access a ballot at all.
All of Us or None Texas Executive Director Steve Huerta, a formerly incarcerated activist and coalition member, makes the need for jail-based voting emphatically clear. He states, “confinement and detention in a jail pending trial does not disqualify you from voting. We have an obligation to ensure that all those that are eligible to vote are provided an opportunity to cast their vote, including people in jail.
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