Cook County Jail Detainees Had A Higher Voter Turnout In The Primary Than The City As A Whole

[WhiskeyGrinder]

Love this.

https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/07/12/cook-county-jail-voter-turnout/

LITTLE VILLAGE — People incarcerated at Cook County Jail turned out to vote in the June primary election at rates higher than the city as a whole, the result of recent efforts to improve access to same-day registration and detailed election information for detainees, voting rights organizers said.

Chicago Board of Elections data shows dismal voter turnout for the June 28 primary, with just 20 percent of all registered voters casting a ballot citywide, less than the 29 percent of primary voters who turned out in 2018 and 2020. By comparison, about 25 percent of the detainees at Cook County Jail voted, with 1,384 votes cast from the jail out of an average June jail population of 5,560, according to the the Cook County Sheriff’s Department and the Chicago Board of Elections.

In the 24th Ward where the jail is located, just 15 percent of registered voters cast a ballot, lower than both the city as a whole and the jail population.

The overwhelming majority of people in jail are presumed innocent since they have not yet had their day in court, so it is paramount they still have access to the polls, said Alex Boutros, a community organizer for Chicago Votes, a voting advocacy group.

[elleng]

1. Good to hear,

and 'funny'!

My first job, out of college, was 'secretarial' @ Civil Legal Aid Service, @ Cook County Jail!

[Srkdqltr]

2. Of course, what else did they have to do?

It's not like they had to work or needed transportation. Duh