Making Democracy Work - Returning Citizens

LWV Galveston applied for and won a grant for the Formerly and Currently Incarcerated People Voter Registration project, or as we like to say, Returning Citizens. This program started in 2022, and there are now 50 Leagues Nationwide participating. The goal is to have over 660 events.

Why This Program is So Important

Millions of Americans are unable to vote due to state felony disenfranchisement laws that disproportionately affect Black Americans.
Navigating state laws on rights restoration can be difficult.
Citizens may receive inaccurate and misleading information due to complex laws and procedures and little to no training for elections officials.
It is unlikely that a citizen with a felony conviction will follow up or make a second inquiry after hearing from a single election official that they are not eligible to vote.
Feedback from the League indicates that most justice system workers receive little to no training.

We will build a Team to reach out to both Election Officials and Law Enforcement, work with Allies, and schedule events to register voters and/or help them with the Application for a Ballot By Mail. Please get in touch with Corlie Jackson for more information.