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Colorado has moved forward with a new law that will expand voting to inmates in county jails.

Governor Jared Polis (D) signed this bill into law on Friday, marking the first state initiative aimed at providing voting access to local detainees. This law mandates counties to appoint an employee responsible for facilitating voting access, including organizing at least one day of in-person voting. While convicted felons remain ineligible to vote in Colorado, individuals convicted of misdemeanors or those awaiting trial retain their voting rights.

For the upcoming November election, the Colorado secretary of state’s office announced plans to establish at least 61 statewide voting sites within county facilities. State Senator Julie Gonzales (D), who sponsored the bill, said this move would address logistical barriers that have historically prevented many inmates from participating in elections. “In Colorado, we really pride ourselves on our gold star election system. Yet we realized that there was a group of individuals who weren’t able to fully access the ballot.”

Before the law, only eight jails nationwide, including two in Denver, facilitated easy voting for inmates. Denver’s program, initiated in 2020, saw over 150 inmates casting their votes in that election.

This development comes amid growing advocacy for inmate voting rights, particularly for those currently incarcerated but awaiting trial. According to the Justice Department, approximately 500,000 people in the United States are in custody and awaiting trial.