State of Connecticut Secretary of the State

09/03/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/04/2024 08:40

Secretary of the State and Department of Corrections Empower Incarcerated Voters with Civic Education

Press Releases

09/03/2024

Secretary of the State and Department of Corrections Empower Incarcerated Voters with Civic Education

(Hartford, CT) - Earlier today, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas spearheaded a training session at the Maloney Center for Training and Staff Development, as part of Secretary Thomas' larger commitment to expanding civic literacy among all populations in Connecticut. The session, planned in cooperation with the Department of Corrections, aimed to prepare prison counselor supervisors both for the upcoming general election and all elections.

There are over 4,000 eligible voters currently incarcerated in Connecticut who have not lost the right to vote. They are in jail awaiting trial or convicted of a misdemeanor. The training is meant to equip prison counselors with the information they need to guide these individuals through the voter registration and absentee voting processes. The training is just one way the Office of the Secretary of the State and the Department of Corrections is partnering to ensure that incarcerated people are not overlooked in the voting process.

"Voting is the heart of our representative democracy, and every eligible citizen deserves a say in shaping our future," said Secretary Thomas. "By training prison counselor supervisors, we're opening doors to greater civic participation and making sure every citizen knows that their voice matters. I am grateful for the support our office has received from the Department of Corrections to make civic education materials available to inmates and to help them exercise their right to vote."

This program is one of several launched by Secretary Thomas with the goal of broadening public civic literacy and engagement. For more information on who is eligible to vote while incarcerated, and how those individuals may vote, visit MyVote.CT.gov.

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