Brennan Center for Justice

Current Felony Disenfranchisement Law

New Jersey disenfranchises people with felony convictions while they are in prison or on parole or probation.

Legislative advocacy

2005. The Brennan Center drafted legislation for a coalition of advocates seeking to restore voting rights after incarceration, but the bill was not introduced.

2006. The Center drafted a similar bill that would restore voting rights post-incarceration, require the Department of Corrections to provide registration assistance, provide for the maintenance of accurate voter rolls, and require the Secretary of State to educate the public about the new law.

Compliance efforts

The Center also assisted the coalition in designing and conducting a survey of election officials that revealed ignorance and misapplication of the law. The Center then joined these advocates in a letter demanding that the Attorney General, the state’s chief election official, correct the problem.

Litigation

The Brennan Center consulted with the attorneys litigating NAACP v. Harvey, a challenge to the state’s felony disenfranchisement law under the New Jersey Constitution. The Center also continues to support state advocates in efforts to achieve legislative change.