Restore Voting Rights Parolees

Individuals serving a sentence of parole - eligibility to register and vote - meaning of full term of imprisonment - appropriation. Existing law prohibits a person serving a sentence of parole from being eligible to register to vote or to vote in any election. The act declares that the purposes of parole are served by restoring the vote to persons serving a sentence of parole. The act clarifies that, for purposes of the "Uniform Election Code" and for applying state constitutional provisions governing disenfranchisement during imprisonment, persons sentenced to parole have completed their "full term of imprisonment" as that term appears in the state constitution. Accordingly, the act makes an individual serving a sentence of parole eligible to register to vote and to vote in any election. The division of adult parole is required to provide an individual sentenced to parole information regarding the individual's voting rights, how the individual may register to vote and cast a ballot, and how the individual may obtain voter information materials. The act repeals existing statutory provisions permitting a person on parole to preregister to vote so that the person is automatically registered to vote after being released from parole. For the 2019-20 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $16,960 to the department of state for use by the information technology division. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.) Read More