VOTE

VOTE VOTE | Voice of the Experienced is a grassroots organization founded by & for people with convictions to create systemic justice reform in Louisiana & beyond.
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We have chapters in Baton Rouge, Lafayette & New Orleans. Reach out to get involved! At VOTE, we've built a community of formerly incarcerated people (FIP), our loved ones, and allies to dismantle mass incarceration and improve public safety. We are experts on these topics because they are our lived experiences. Spanning across Louisiana, we have 3 chapters in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and New Orlea

ns. Together we draft and advocate for local and state-wide legislation, teach each other on how to maneuver the legal system, and form partnerships with other organizations to provide direct services to people with convictions. Ultimately, VOTE mobilizes a strong group of leaders to transform the (in)justice system. Read more, donate, and join us at https://www.voiceoftheexperienced.org/. Visit our community calendar to see upcoming events: https://www.voiceoftheexperienced.org/calendar

06/16/2026

Tomorrow, The Juror Project + Voice of the Experienced will come together to engage community around current happenings in the criminal legal system and explore how we can amplify our collective people power.

We’re looking forward to building knowledge together, strengthening connections, and exploring what people power can look like in action.

Thank you to everyone who has rsvp’d. If you have not but still plan to attend, you can rsvp here: PeoplePowerNow.eventbrite.com

See you there at 6pm at 4930 Washington Ave!

On Sunday, VOTE Baton Rouge organizers along with Indivisible, Power Coalition, NAACP, Pulse, and other community organi...
06/16/2026

On Sunday, VOTE Baton Rouge organizers along with Indivisible, Power Coalition, NAACP, Pulse, and other community organizations held more than just a rally, it was a multigenerational coordinated effort of solidarity with more than 70 community members. Powerful speakers included advocates Kaitlyn Joshua, Quentin Anthony Anderson, David Ozuna, and nolathaprogressive.
 
People came together across different backgrounds because we believe in civic participation, voting rights, and making sure our communities are heard. Diversity means little if representation is restricted. Our communities deserve not only a seat at the table, but a voice that cannot be diluted, dismissed, or denied. Recognizing that the current redistricting and legislation being passed is a pattern of concentrated power. When the people are silenced, democracy cannot live, and we refuse to let it die. “Democracy today. Democracy tomorrow. Democracy always.”
 
Special thanks to the Black and Brown women who organized this event: San, Amelia, Sara, and Cristin.

Join VOTE’s Lafayette team to build grassroots support for the Fair Chance Campaign through canvassing, phone banking, c...
06/15/2026

Join VOTE’s Lafayette team to build grassroots support for the Fair Chance Campaign through canvassing, phone banking, community outreach, and civic engagement. You will develop real skills in organizing, public speaking, campaign strategy, and leadership with hands-on experience that moves the movement forward.
 
If you’re passionate about justice, ready to do the work, and want to build your leadership from the ground up, we want to hear from you. We especially encourage people who have been impacted by the criminal legal system to apply!
 
Link in our bio to apply! This is a part time position based in Lafayette, Louisiana.

VOTE & Power Coalition early voting! 🗳️✊🏾An 80 year old and 20 year old experiencing the Right to Vote together! Have yo...
06/15/2026

VOTE & Power Coalition early voting! 🗳️✊🏾

An 80 year old and 20 year old experiencing the Right to Vote together!

Have you early voted yet?? Check out Geaux vote for your polling place and ballot!

06/13/2026

During the 2026 legislative session in Louisiana, lawmakers passed a redrawn map of congressional districts moving from 4-2 representation to 5-1 representation. What’s happening in Louisiana is gerrymandering, and it’s the direct consequence of sitting out elections. 
 
Quentin Anthony Anderson (Quentin Anthony Anderson) explains how the unfair maps we’re fighting in Louisiana are the direct result of who we elect and who we don’t. If we want fair representation and quality governance, we have to make it happen during election season, not after the damage is done. People will lose representation and quality governance. But the power to change that trajectory still belongs to us as voters and it starts with showing up and voting for people who believe in fair representation.
 
Early voting for the June 27th election is happening NOW. Visit Geauxvote.com to find your sample ballot.

06/12/2026

Terrance Winn went to prison at 16, spending 30 years inside Angola before a Supreme Court decision on juvenile sentencing finally set him free.
 
He never got to vote or be part of the process, but he paid attention to everything that was wrong. He’s clear: what we’re going through right now is because we don’t vote. If we voted, things would be different. And if your vote didn’t count, they wouldn’t work so hard to take it away from you.
 
Felony disenfranchisement didn’t happen by accident. It was built out of old laws designed to strip Black communities of political power after emancipation, carried forward through decades of mass incarceration, and enforced every single day through policies that silence the people most impacted by the system. 
 
Your vote is under attack for the same reason your freedom is: Because it means something. Early voting has begun, make your voice count! Election day is June 27th. 
 
REMINDER: FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE IN LOUISIANA CAN VOTE!
***if you are on probation OR been on parole for more than 5 years you CAN vote!

06/11/2026

“If we are willing to do it to children, we are definitely willing to do it to adults, and worse.” — Dr. Matthew Green
 
The school-to-prison pipeline starts earlier than you think, and it affects every child in every community. VOTE organizer Amelia Herrera and VOTE member and educator Dr. Matthew Green have the conversation about the school to prison pipeline that we don’t have enough.
 
Louisiana incarcerates more people per capita than anywhere in the world, and the pipeline starts in the classroom. A single suspension increases a child’s likelihood of entering the criminal legal system by 50%. Watch or read the full In Conversation at the link in our bio!

06/11/2026

“You can’t sit steady and expect somebody else to handle it for you.” - Gerri Hobdy
 
Redistricting shapes who speaks for you in the halls where decisions get made. It might feel like something happening far away, but your vote isn’t abstract: it’s your housing, your insurance, your cousin’s case.

🎥: Greg Dee

The After Incarceration app is now live — free on the App Store and Google Play. It’s a community built for people comin...
06/10/2026

The After Incarceration app is now live — free on the App Store and Google Play. It’s a community built for people coming home from incarceration, and for the families walking it with them.

What’s inside:
- The Porter — peer support for the hard moments of transition
- The Library — straight answers on housing, work, and legal rights, from the Librarian and the Jailhouse Lawyer
- Affinity groups — for currently and formerly incarcerated people, parents, partners, siblings, and children

It’s free, with no ads, no data selling, and no venture capital behind it. It stays that way through The Kitty, a small optional membership inside the app.

WE VALUE DIVERSITY: Terms and Conditions May Apply Based on Representation.Diversity means little if representation is r...
06/10/2026

WE VALUE DIVERSITY: Terms and Conditions May Apply Based on Representation.

Diversity means little if representation is restricted. Our communities deserve not only a seat at the table, but a voice that cannot be diluted, dismissed, or denied. Join us as we rally for voting rights, fair representation, and a democracy that works for everyone.

Location: 1001 Capitol Access Drive, Baton Rouge, LA (Across from the Governor’s Mansion)
Date: June 14, 2026

Voter Registration Available! Representation should not come with terms and conditions.

Address

4930 Washington Avenue
New Orleans, LA
70125

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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