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Introduction of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Voting Assistance Act

Floor Speech

Date: July 13, 2021
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Criminal Justice

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Federal Bureau of Prisons Voting Assistance Act with Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and Congressman Peter Welch. This bill would require the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to provide to inmates from jurisdictions that allow inmates to vote, like the District of Columbia, Vermont and Maine, information on how to register to vote and request an absentee ballot. It would require BOP to provide each BOP prison information on the criteria for voter registration, instructions on voter registration, voter registration forms and prepaid envelopes for voter registration forms, if provided by the state generally. Each prison would be required to post the information in the facility and give it to each inmate eligible to vote.

These are essentially the practices BOP used in the most recent presidential election, so this bill would codify an already successful practice of assisting with voter enfranchisement.

I ask my colleagues to support this bill.

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