1,600 people are held in the Colo. Springs jail. The vast majority are eligible to vote.

The local sheriff says he's 'very proud' of and has '100% confidence' in the jail's voter access.

So how many people actually voted there last election?

Zero.

boltsmag.org/colorado-votin…

West Virginia has led the country in overdose death rate every recorded year since at least 2014. Nevertheless, state lawmakers restricted syringe exchange programs in 2021, and are now looking to outlaw methadone too. boltsmag.org/west-virginia-…

People held in Colorado’s county jails typically retain the right to vote but face enormous hurdles to actually casting a ballot. The legislature adopted a bill meant to remedy the issue.

NEW in Bolts from Alex Burness: boltsmag.org/colorado-votin…

Upcoming referendums in three South Dakota counties will see voters decide whether to ban ballot tabulator machines, South Dakota Searchlight reports: southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/04/28/han…

Oregon Democrats will choose their secretary of state nominee in two weeks. The leading contenders offered different priorities and visions for what needs fixing in the state. boltsmag.org/democracy-in-o…

From Citizens United to Shelby County, the Supreme Court has been chipping away at voting rights protections for decades. Elections law expert Josh Douglas will make sense of what’s been happening and what may come next — send in your questions! boltsmag.org/ask-bolts/

St. Louis hasn't built a new homeless shelter in 15 years. But plans to turn a former jail into tiny homes for the unhoused community has housing advocate Kristian Blackmon concerned that people will be “on a piece of land that has a horrific history.” boltsmag.org/st-louis-workh…

Four Republican county commissioners were recalled by Michigan voters in special elections tonight.

Three were in Delta County, and one in Ottawa County. The races were decided by margins ranging from 20 to 50 percentage points. boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-b…

Now that more people are awaiting trial at home since Illinois ended cash bail, reformers are pushing for better access to support programs.

“Investing in these behavioral services is about interrupting the cycle of violence and trauma,' says one advocate.boltsmag.org/illinois-pretr…

Mike Braun has won the contested Republican primary for governor in Indiana.

Valerie McCray has won the contested Democratic primary to succeed him in the U.S. Senate.

Keep track of those results and other primary results we're watching. boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-b…

Precinct-level election data is crucial for lawyers and organizations fighting to “enforce the federal or any state voting rights act,” an election law expert told Bolts.

But many states make it nearly impossible to access this information: boltsmag.org/election-data-…

From voter ID to felony disenfranchisement, the Supreme Court has been shaping our broken electoral system for decades.

If you have questions about what’s taken place, or how it could all come to a head in 2024, then we want to hear them: boltsmag.org/ask-bolts/

St. Louis is in the midst of a severe homelessness crisis. But city officials and formerly incarcerated people disagree about turning a controversial jail into tiny homes. boltsmag.org/st-louis-workh…

A second nitrogen hypoxia execution has been authorized by Alabama’s supreme court, MontgomeryAdvertiser reports: montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/cri…

I'm looking forward to answering your questions as we gear up for the release of The Court v. The Voters: The Troubling Story of How the Supreme Court Has Undermined Voting Rights next Tuesday!

Ask Bolts anything about voting rights and SCOTUS! No question too weedsy. boltsmag.org/ask-bolts/

With Governor Eric Holcomb term-limited out of office, Indiana Republicans are choosing their next gubernatorial candidate today.

One candidate is running on a proposal to eliminate the state’s income tax, and is interested in resuming executions: boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-b…

Most of the time, when prisons or jails get shut down, they just get reused for other carceral purposes, like ICE detention. So I was intrigued last year when I heard St. Louis was charting a different course w the recently closed Workhouse jail. (1/)

boltsmag.org/st-louis-workh…

Have questions about how the U.S. Supreme Court has affected voting rights, what may come next, and how the damage can be repaired? Let us know and we’ll pitch them to an election law expert later this week! boltsmag.org/ask-bolts/

Officials have responded to an overcrowding crisis in Houston by sending more people to far-flung, for-profit lockups.

Local advocates want the jail to prioritize reducing its population instead:
boltsmag.org/harris-county-…