ADVOCACY GROUPS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT VOTING IN COOK COUNTY JAIL DURING COVID-19
In 2019, Illinois lawmakers passed a law ensuring that voters who are eligible and incarcerated have access to the ballot. Cook County Jail thus became the first jail in the country to be an official polling location during the March 2020 Illinois primary election.
In an effort to protect voter access, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights conducted non-partisan pollwatching in Cook County Jail on March 7 and 8. But due to increasing public health concerns associated with COVID-19, particularly for community members incarcerated in correctional facilities, we decided to not conduct pollwatching on the following weekend as scheduled.
In a letter sent March 13, 2020, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee and Chicago Votes included a brief list of issues that we urge corrections officials to consider as voting takes place in Cook County Jail.
In addition, our organizations joined others in signing an open public letter to Cook County officials outlining steps that should be taken to protect the health of all Cook County residents, including those incarcerated in Cook County Jail and in their homes on electronic monitoring.
We commend the Cook County Department of Corrections, the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, and the Cook County Clerk’s Office for their efforts to secure the safety and voting rights of all eligible voters during this challenging time.