On June 13, 2026, there were 6,608 people detained on Rikers Island and the vast majority — 5,598 — are awaiting trial. Over 50 years ago, the United States Supreme Court held that citizens detained in jail awaiting trial or serving a misdemeanor sentence retained their right to vote.
Yet despite the law and years of advocacy by the Vote in NYC Jails Coalition, the right to vote remains elusive to the majority of citizens on Rikers Island. This burden is disproportionately borne by Black and Latino constituents, who are already overrepresented in our criminal legal system and the targets of racial vote dilution.
