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Sheriff Villanueva Introduces New Program Enabling County Inmates To Vote

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Many Los Angeles County jail inmates are still eligible to vote and will be able to do so providing they meet eligibility requirements under a new program introduced Sunday.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan spoke at the Century Regional Detention Facility for women about the program, which allows eligible inmates to register to vote and cast ballots inside the facility.

Officials said personnel with the county's population management bureau and education-based incarceration staff spoke hosted a non-partisan civics course for women who were eligible and interested in voting that covered topics such as civil live, politics, government and a brief history of America and its government. Election materials were then provided to the women and those who were not registered were walked through the process.

In the past, participating inmates used a vote-by-mail process, but this year with the county's new electronic voting systems, they will be able to use the same technology as all other voters.

"I'm pleased to say that almost 2,200 inmates throughout all Los Angeles County housing facilities chose to participate in voting and were registered," Villanueva said.

To be eligible to vote, inmates must be 18 years of age or older and a citizen of the United States, awaiting trial or on trial for any crime, in jail for a misdemeanor conviction, in jail on a probation violation, in jail on felony probation or serving a county jail sentence under the California public safety realignment act.

Inmates who are awaiting transfer to a state or federal prison for a felony conviction, serving a station prison sentence under contract with a county jail, serving time for a parole violation or who have been deemed mentally incompetent to vote by a court are not eligible for the program.

More details can be found on the sheriff's department website.

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