Inclusive Democracy Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill guarantees that no citizen can be denied the right to vote in federal elections because of a criminal conviction, applying to people currently in prison, those on parole or probation, and people who have completed their sentences.
• Prisons and jails must help incarcerated people register to vote and provide them with absentee ballots, prepaid postage, and access to the internet to research candidates if devices are already available to them.
• Courts and prison officials must give people written notice that a conviction does not take away their federal voting rights, and the Election Assistance Commission must run a national ad campaign to inform the public.
• Incarcerated voters can register using either their last known home address or the address of the facility where they are held, and states must offer the same address flexibility given to non-incarcerated voters.
• States cannot reject absentee ballots from incarcerated voters for missing a signature without first giving them 10 days to fix the problem, and cannot reject ballots solely for lacking required ID.
• Incarcerated people cannot be prosecuted for accidentally voting in a local race or ballot initiative that appears on the same ballot as a federal race, and both the Attorney General and private individuals can sue to enforce the law.