You can learn more about SB 579 on the Oregon Legislature website here.

They would be registered in the county they resided in before entering prison (last voluntary address). If they do not have a last voluntary address or cannot remember their last voluntary address, they can use a definable location in the county that describes their last voluntary address. This could be a shelter, park, motor home, or other identifiable location. The correctional facility would then be used as the mailing address.

Yes. People incarcerated in jail for a misdemeanor conviction and people awaiting trial can already vote. Additionally, people in Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) custody after adjudication, who are otherwise qualified to vote, are already voting in OYA facilities.

No. People in prison will vote in local elections of their last voluntary address, therefore they are unable to vote as a bloc to sway elections in the town/county where the correctional facility is located.

Yes. Oregon legislators have recognized that voting is a civil right, and have worked to protect and expand voting rights through initiatives like universal vote by mail, online voter registration, automatic voter registration, paid postage, and postmarked ballots on election day.

Yes. Our current voting processes and systems can easily be applied to prisons. This would not be an undue burden on the Secretary of State or the Department of Corrections, and would be straightforward to implement. Once someone registers to vote, each registered voter would then receive the same materials as everyone else, including a ballot and voters' pamphlet.