WASHINGTON —Today, 44 organizations representing the National Voting in Prison Coalition sent a letter to members of the House of Representatives urging them to co-sponsor the Inclusive Democracy Act (IDA), legislation to end felony disenfranchisement in federal elections for individuals completing their sentence inside and outside of prison and jail. The IDA was introduced earlier this year by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-7). Currently, the IDA has 23 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and is awaiting a hearing.

“As of 2022, an estimated 4.4 million individuals are denied voting rights because of a criminal conviction, barring them from voting in federal elections. Currently, there are inconsistent systems across 48 states that treat different crimes as felonies and set different standards for disenfranchisement. All eligible residents should be allowed a voice in our democracy,” wrote the groups in a letter to lawmakers.

“Restoring the freedom to vote for all Americans impacted by the criminal legal system regardless of incarceration status would give everyone the same opportunity to fulfill their civic duty, fully participate in their communities, and make all our communities safer. Voting is a fundamental right that empowers us to have a say in the decisions that impact our lives and communities. Citizenship doesn’t stop at the prison gates, and neither should the freedom to vote.

“A racist relic of the Jim Crow era, felony disenfranchisement disproportionately hurts poor people and people of color. One in 19 Black Americans of voting age is disenfranchised, a rate 3.5 times higher than the non-Black population,” they continued.

To read the full letter, click here.