Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2021

CONTACT: press@secure-democracy.org

Connecticut Restores Voting Rights to Thousands of Formerly Incarcerated Citizens Through Budget Bill

Governor Ned Lamont Signs S.B. 1202 into Law

Hartford, Conn.— This afternoon, Governor Ned Lamont signed S.B. 1202 into law, a state budget bill with a provision to restore voting rights to 4,000 citizens in Connecticut who have served their time in prison but are currently barred from voting. The provision will restore voting eligibility to any person with a felony conviction as soon as they are no longer incarcerated and have returned to the community, regardless of their parole status or fines and fees they may owe. Rights restoration is a policy widely supported by Connecticut voters.

This session, Connecticut lawmakers considered S.B. 5, an omnibus elections bill that included a rights restoration provision. The bill passed the Connecticut Senate on May 25, 2021. In the final hours of Connecticut’s legislative session, the House failed to advance the bill. Pieces of S.B. 5 were then included in the state budget implementer bill, S.B. 1202, which was passed on June 17, 2021.

“With Governor Lamont’s signature on S.B. 1202, thousands of Connecticut citizens who are already working, raising families and paying taxes in our communities will once again have a voice in our democracy,” said Sarah Walker, executive director of Secure Democracy. “Connecticut now joins every other state in the Northeast that allows people convicted of felonies to vote as soon as they are no longer incarcerated. We thank Secretary of State Denise Merrill and Connecticut lawmakers for their leadership on this important issue.”

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

A bipartisan majority of Connecticut voters support restoring voting rights to citizens on parole.

According to a survey conducted in January of 2021, 66% of Connecticut voters agree with restoring voting eligibility to individuals with past felony convictions who have completed their prison sentences and are living in the community under parole supervision. Seventy-five percent feel that Connecticut should be more focused on transitioning these people back into society.

There is a bipartisan, nationwide movement to restore voting eligibility for people with past convictions.

In the past few years, Nevada, Colorado, California, New York and Washington state have restored voting eligibility for people with felony convictions upon their release from prison. Once the new laws passed this year take effect, 23 states — including every other state in the Northeast — will allow people on community supervision to vote.

Ensuring people with past convictions can participate in our democracy in a meaningful way is a foundational part of the rehabilitative process.

Research suggests that allowing formerly incarcerated individuals to vote can reduce recidivism. A study by the Florida Parole Commission found that people with felony convictions whose eligibility was restored were three times less likely to commit new crimes. As a result, more and more law enforcement, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the American Probation and Parole Association, support voting restoration.

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About Secure Democracy

Secure Democracy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to improve election integrity across the United States. We educate policymakers and the public about what it takes to safeguard our voting systems. We collaborate with state leaders, election administrators, election integrity experts, and allies to ensure that all eligible citizens have the freedom to vote how they choose.