How League of Women Voters Helps People With Criminal Records

Volunteers from the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County go to correctional facilities twice a month to register incarcerated individuals. (Photo provided by League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County)

The League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County wants those who are, or have been, incarcerated to know that they have clear and protected voting rights.

“Our primary mission is to defend democracy by empowering voters,” said Peg Schrader, vice president of voter services for Milwaukee County’s league.  The League of Women Voters is a 100-year-old nonpartisan organization that promotes voting and civic participation.

During incarceration

“My work … is all targeted to getting people registered to vote,” Schrader said. “More importantly, it is targeted to people who are disenfranchised . . . “

This includes people who are recently naturalized as well as students of Milwaukee Public Schools.

Those who are eligible can both register to vote as well as actually vote while incarcerated.

According to state law, you are eligible to vote if you are: a U.S. citizen; over 18 years of age on election day; and an established Wisconsin resident within the voting district or ward for at least 28 days.

Being in custody or under supervision for a felony conviction strips someone of their voting eligibility. However, merely being charged with a felony does not.

Registering

The league registers people incarcerated inside both the Milwaukee County Jail and the Milwaukee County Community Reintegration Center, formerly known as the Milwaukee County House of Corrections.

If someone has a Wisconsin ID or driver’s license, they must use that to register.  But very few people get arrested with identification, Schrader said, so an ongoing challenge is trying to find that information, including ID numbers and expiration dates.

If someone does not have an ID or driver’s license, then league members help them obtain one. In this part of the work, the league often collaborates with VoteRiders, a nonpartisan organization that helps people secure identification needed for voting.

Once a person has the right identification, someone from the league literally sits next to the person and enters their information into a tablet with them on a voting registration website.

Actually voting

But the work does not end with registration.

A key aspect of the league’s work in both facilities is requesting absentee ballots on behalf of the people they register, said Schrader.

If they are going to be released before the next election, they can vote at their polling place, but those who will be incarcerated during the election must vote using an absentee ballot.

These individuals can receive the ballot by mail, fill it out and send it back in the mail, Schrader said.

The people she has helped “are absolutely amazed with the whole idea,” she said.

“I’ve had people brought to tears,” she said.

Schrader said that staff at both facilities support the league’s work.

“First of all, it’s their (incarcerated people’s) right,” said Kimberly Brooks, public relations manager for the Community Reintegration Center. “Second of all, it’s part of Superintendent (Chantell) Jewell’s vision to help people to become productive citizens.”

Over the course of 2023, the league registered 65 people and helped 41 people request absentee ballots at the Community Reintegration Center, according to data provided by the league.

At the jail that same year, the league registered 50 people and helped 61 request absentee ballots, according to the same data.

These results are in line with the goals of Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers.

“The governor’s record is clear. He, of course, supports every effort to ensure every eligible Wisconsinite is able to cast their ballot,” said Britt Cudaback, communications director for Evers’ office.

After incarceration

The league also works to register people whose voting rights have been previously restricted, including those with a felony conviction.

According to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, those with a felony conviction cannot vote while “on paper,” or under some form of supervision by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, including in custody or on parole, probation or extended supervision.

But once someone is off paper, they are eligible to register and vote like any other eligible Wisconsinite, said Cudaback from Evers’ office.

The main difference, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, is that the person must certify on their voter registration form that they are no longer under correctional supervision.

Andron Lane recently voted for the first time in his life after getting off paper.

He continues to celebrate the right and promote civic participation in his community.

“What do you know about voting? What do you know about people on the ballot?” Lane said. “There’s a lot of things we need to bring into the community before we talk about voting. It’s a language – what does it mean to be a voter?”

For those still on paper, Lane encourages them to participate in other ways, like canvassing or simply having political conversations with people in their day-to-day lives.

For more information

Registering to vote, or checking registration, can be done for free.

A Wisconsin ID is free for the purposes of voting. The Wisconsin Elections Commission provides information about securing one.

The commission also provides a guide to voting eligibility for people who have a criminal record.

There’s an election coming up. Here’s what you need to know 

Key Wisconsin election dates to keep in mind

For additional information about the election, including how to find your district, check out the Wisconsin Watch Voter Guide.

How the League of Women Voters helps people with criminal records was originally published by the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.