U.S. Senate Democrats applauded the Justice Department on Thursday for its efforts to expand voting access for people in federal custody, reports Courthouse News Service. However, they also pushed the agency to do more to bring incarcerated people into the electorate.
In 2021, the Biden administration ordered the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Prisons to provide educational materials related to voting to inmates. Senate Democrats told Attorney General Merrick Garland and Bureau of Prisons Director Colette Peters that since this action, the Bureau of Prisons has made an “exemplary” effort to “significantly increase voting access” for incarcerated people. However, The lawmakers recommended that the Bureau of Prisons share inmates’ election information. They said that “it can be difficult to know whether voter registration materials and ballots successfully reach incarcerated voters" without this information on hand. The Democrats also asked for an update to Congress about the agency's efforts to expand ballot access and accommodations made for disabled voters. The letter requested a response from the Justice Department by April 12.
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