This bill, the Inclusive Democracy Act of 2026, says a person's conviction for a criminal offense cannot be used to deny or limit their right to vote in elections for Federal office. That rule applies to convictions that happened before, on, or after the date the law is passed.
The bill requires written notifications about this right when someone is convicted under State or Federal law. It also requires probation, parole, and carceral authorities to notify people under their supervision about the rules and to give people who are incarcerated opportunities to register to vote and to request absentee ballots.
The bill sets deadlines and procedures for how carceral settings must transmit registration forms, absentee ballot applications, and completed ballots to election officials. It says States must accept forms and ballots from incarcerated individuals even if submitted electronically or mailed near State deadlines (with specific postmark rules). The bill allows an incarcerated person to use either their last known home address or the address of the carceral setting for registration when the State allows address choices.
The bill requires the Election Assistance Commission to run a national public service announcement campaign and the Department of Justice to publish guidance about voting rights for people with criminal records. It also requires carceral settings to give jailed people access to voter information online (if internet devices are available), to post voter information, and to allow nonpartisan voter registration groups and certain campaign materials inside facilities.
The Attorney General can sue to enforce the law. Individuals who are harmed by a violation may give written notice to State officials and may bring lawsuits if the violation is not fixed within set time limits. The bill allows certain incarcerated people to bring immediate court actions when they are denied registration or absentee voting services. The provisions apply beginning with the regularly scheduled general elections for Federal office in November 2026 and after.
The bill defines key terms (for example, "carceral setting" and "Federal office") and says its protections add to existing voting laws. It also says any ambiguous provision should be read in favor of the person trying to register or vote.
No publicly available information on estimated costs or budgetary effects is included in the bill text. The bill requires actions that may involve administrative or mailing activities, a national public service announcement campaign by the Election Assistance Commission, and guidance and outreach by the Department of Justice.
The bill text states its purpose: to "guarantee the right to vote for all citizens regardless of conviction of a criminal offense." Sponsors introduced the bill to ensure that convictions do not bar voting in Federal elections and to create procedures for registration and absentee voting for people with criminal records.
No publicly available information on opposition views or objections is included in the bill text or the provided metadata.