Brennan Center Statement: WA Governor Signs Bill to Restore Voting Rights to People on Probation and Parole

For Immediate Release
April 7, 2021

Today Governor Jay Inslee signed HB1078, a bill restoring voting rights to more than 20,000 people in the state who have past criminal convictions and are on community supervision, the equivalent of parole and probation in Washington. With the governor’s signature, Washington became the 20th state to restore voting rights upon release from prison. 

Sean Morales-Doyle, deputy director of the Voting Rights and Elections Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, had the following comment: 

“Washington has finally restored voting rights to people on community supervision, ending a shameful ban that kept more than 20,000 people from participating in elections. By signing this bill, Governor Inslee has given thousands of Washingtonians a voice in the decisions that affect them, their families, and their communities. 

“The voting ban disproportionately disenfranchised Washington’s Black residents due to the racial disparities in the state’s criminal justice system. Overturning that ban today brings Washington one step closer to a more inclusive democracy.” 

Brennan Center Resources on Rights Restoration

• Restoring the Right to Vote, by State
• Map of Disenfranchisement Laws in the U.S.
• Rights Restoration Efforts in Washington