Dear Friend,

Communities across the country are rallying around a call to end racial injustice in modern policing. Now more than ever, it is clear that there is work to be done to strengthen our democracy by making it fair and inclusive for all. As we work to reimagine law enforcement and end mass incarceration, we must also demand an end to voter suppression tactics that keep people impacted by our legal system out of the voting booth.

California's constitution unjustly strips members of our community of the right to vote if they're serving a prison sentence or are on parole. Felony disenfranchisement laws are rooted in a history of Jim Crow segregation and, because of inequalities in the criminal legal system, these policies disproportionately silence the voices of Black and brown people.

Voting is a fundamental right, and it's time for California to restore this right for people on parole.

The California Senate must vote by June 25 on a measure that, if approved, would give Californians the power on the November ballot to restore the right to vote for people on parole. ACA 6: The Free the Vote Act will allow the nearly 50,000 people on parole to actively participate in our democracy.

Tell your state senator it's time to end decades of disenfranchisement – Ask your state senator to vote YES on the Free the Vote Act.

Thanks for sticking with us,

Abdi Soltani
Executive Director, ACLU of Northern California