Free Our Vote

Free Our Vote is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) dedicated to restoring voting rights for people with past convictions. Millions of Americans with past felony convictions could vote, but don’t. Not because they don’t want to – but because they don’t know if they can. The problem lies in state voting laws. These laws are complex and were often passed to disenfranchise Black voters. Most states tie voting rights to repayment of court debt. And state officials, let alone returning citizens, struggle to determine voter eligibility. Mistakes are costly. Returning citizens may face new felony charges if they register to vote under the incorrect belief that they were eligible. That’s a reality for voters in Florida and elsewhere. This practice silences millions of voices and erodes trust in democracy. Free Our Vote develops web crawlers to assemble complex court and corrections records to determine voter eligibility. We fundraise to pay off court debt, and negotiate with clerks of court to reduce amounts owed. And we inform newly eligible voters through mailers and texts. Our model is supported by rigorous, scientific evidence. We re-enfranchised thousands in Florida in 2020. Quasi-RCT analyses prove our outreach boosted turnout by up to 26%. The Wall Street Journal and ProPublica, among others, have cited our work. Free Our Vote is a non-partisan nonprofit launched by Neel Sukhatme & Alexander Billy. Neel is Associate Dean & Professor of Law at Georgetown, with an Econ Ph.D. from Princeton and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Alex is a Ph.D. economist from Georgetown.