Prisons in apportionment in foreign countries

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Just wondering, do other countries count prisoners as resident of the location the prison is at instead of their original residence? This struck me as very dumb (unless the state is Maine or Vermont), and it's good that states are moving away from it (like Maryland and New York), even if that is for partisan reasons.

[minionofmidas]

Not just that - most countries let them vote.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Not just that - most countries let them vote.

Prisoners can vote in Germany then I take it?

[minionofmidas]

Yes. (Not entirely sure that that's also true in local elections, where it makes little sense, but I've never heard anything to the contrary.) And because the postal ballot is easily arranged, and a lot of prisoners didn't share in a civic culture of voting before... quite a few people cast their first vote ever from prison.

[Middle-aged Europe]

I remember that the Rotenburg Cannibal was active in Green politics in prison (although not a full party member).

[minionofmidas]

Back in the early days of the party in the 80s, technically a majority of the Tegel Green party members were prisoners.

[Silent Hunter]

Northern Ireland has a classic example; Bobby Sands was elected as MP in a 1981 by-elections for Fermanagh and South Tyrone while in prison for IRA activity - and on hunger strike. Sands died as a result and a second by-election was held.

[Јas]

Northern Ireland has a classic example; Bobby Sands was elected as MP in a 1981 by-elections for Fermanagh and South Tyrone while in prison for IRA activity - and on hunger strike. Sands died as a result and a second by-election was held.

Yes, but Sands couldn't actually vote himself, and I'm not sure from an electoral perspective what his residency was (if anything).

And, of course, the British government, disapproving of the people's decision, soon decided that the law should be changed such that prisoners like Sands couldn't be candidates in elections.


It seems Westminster is, by the by, going to consider defying the European Court of Human Rights ruling on prisoner voting.

I'm not sure if any signatory to the ECHR has ever went so far in explicitly rebuking a court decision before as to have its parliament declare a decision to be wrong.