On Wednesday, August 6, partners from across the state gathered for the Democracy During Detention Act (DDDA) Convening, a strategy session to strengthen the campaign for S440/A2121. The convening focused on aligning messaging, building legislative momentum, and advancing the fight to guarantee voting access for eligible citizens detained in New York jails.

With more than 10,000 people held in local jails across NYS—many of whom remain eligible to vote—the DDDA campaign centers a simple principle: democracy should not stop at the jailhouse door.

This convening was an opportunity to sharpen our focus heading into the next session, build broader coalition engagement, and elevate the urgent need for election officials, not corrections departments, to be responsible for voter access.