“The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.”

— LYNDON B. JOHNSON

Election day is Tuesday, November 6th, 2012. The deadline for registering to vote is midnight on October 22nd 2012. You can register or update your registration online. For Alameda County, you can check the status of your registration here. For all other counties in California, you can get voting information here.

Many people with criminal records receive disinformation about their voting rights. Know your rights!

You can vote even if you’ve been to prison or jail in the past and even if you have had felony convictions. Once you are off felony parole or Realignment supervision, all you need to do is register and vote!

You can vote even if you are currently on probation for a non-Realignment case or in jail serving a non-Realignment or prison sentence. All you need to do is register and vote!

Questions about your voting rights? Contact the Clean Slate Practice for a free, confidential consultation (510-548-4040) or visit the ACLU’s Every Vote Counts campaign.

If you or a loved one has had contact with the criminal justice system, your voice in this election is especially critical. You know which criminal justice policies work and which are harming our communities. Ask candidates what they will do to improve employment and education opportunities for people who have had contact with the criminal justice system. Ask politicians about their plans to get young people to into college, not jail. This election, you can also vote directly to end the death penalty in California (Yes on Prop 34) and to fix the broken Three Strikes law (Yes on Prop 36).

Your vote is your voice! Together we can make some noise.