FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Secretary of State Jena Griswold Applauds Success of First Year of Statewide Jail-Based Voting

Denver, CO – Today Secretary of State Jena Griswold released results from the Department’s post-election survey of counties regarding the first year of mandated jail-based voting. Secretary Griswold issued the following statement:

“Colorado is the first state in the nation to require in-person voting access for eligible individuals in a jail or a detention center. This groundbreaking law led to nearly 2,600 Coloradans in confinement casting a ballot in the 2024 General Election. I want to thank Senator Julie Gonzales and Representatives Manny Rutinel and Kyle Brown for leading this bill.”

In the 2024 General Election, 2,584 eligible incarcerated individuals cast a ballot from jail or a detention center, either in-person or voting a mail ballot – accounting for almost 49% of the total population of average daily eligible incarcerated individuals, according to Department of Correction Data. According to the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, 231 incarcerated individuals voted in the 2022 General Election; 2024 saw an over 1000% increase in votes cast from jail from that time.

The 2024 General Election was the first requiring County Sheriffs and County Clerks to coordinate and provide at least one day of in-person voting for eligible incarcerated individuals. This requirement arose out of Senate Bill 24-072, “Voting for Confined Eligible Electors,” which established that Sheriff’s offices and Counties must work together to:

• Provide eligible voters in jail information on candidates and measures included on the ballot. 
• Allow confined voters to cast a ballot without violating their right to a secret ballot.
• Provide ADA accommodations.
• Accept mail ballots.
• Allow confined voters to submit a mail ballot cure form. 
• Allow confined voters to cast a provisional ballot.

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