Reclaiming a Fundamental Right

Marissa Ranalli Zapata and Free Our Vote stand up for returning citizens

This election year, everyone’s vote matters more than ever. But did you know there are Americans who are eligible to vote — or who could become eligible —who don’t realize they can participate in this year’s election?

That’s the situation for many “returning citizens” — people who were incarcerated but are now going back to their lives. And it’s Marissa Ranalli Zapata’s mission to help them.

Earlier this year, Marissa became the executive director of Free Our Vote, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation that uses technology to restore voting rights for people with past convictions. Marissa recently found a few minutes in her busy schedule for a quick catch-up with me, and I’m so excited about everything she’s doing. I’m also thrilled to share her story with you today!

Taking a New Path in Life

Marissa did not begin her career in the social impact space. But when she was working in advertising sales, she started realizing that something was out of alignment in her life.

“I just kept thinking about what was going on in the world, things that we weren’t talking about at work, things that, honestly, I cared more about,” she says. She knew she wanted to use her skills to leave the world a better place.

So Marissa did something very brave: She took a leap of faith and changed her whole life path. First, she became marketing manager at dosomething.org, “a nonprofit that engages young people to participate in volunteering and civic engagement.” This role stoked her interest in how technology can “scale good” and drive social impact.

Marissa’s next role was at B Lab, a nonprofit that helps certify B corporations. That was followed by her stint at Civic Nation, a “nonprofit ecosystem for social impact initiatives that are tackling everything from democracy-related work to gender equity, and also areas of connecting people to federal benefits that they likely wouldn’t know about otherwise,” Marissa says. That’s where I met Marissa while in my role as Head of Social Justice Policy and Programs at Amazon. I was always touched by her passion and deep desire to build authentic partnerships. I was lucky to witness Marissa’s magic at their 2022 Culture of Democracy Summit and it was beyond inspirational!

‘That Would Change Everything’

A new chapter in Marissa’s work as a #MovementMaker came when she was contacted by Free Our Vote founders Neel Sukhatme, a professor and associate dean at Georgetown University Law Center, and Alexander Billy, a consultant who holds a PhD in economics from Georgetown.

Free Our Vote is built on the innovative idea of using data to help correct inequities in the criminal legal system. Neel and Alexander had realized that voting as a returning citizen is anything but straightforward. Different states have different laws (some with roots in the Jim Crow era), and returning citizens often receive incorrect information, or no information at all. Some must take care of old fines and fees before they can register, which adds another set of complications.

To address this crisis, Free Our Vote processes massive amounts of data from legal and voting rights databases to identify and reach out to returning citizens who are potential voters. For some, it is the first time anyone has told them they can restore their voting rights — or that they never lost them in the first place.

Marissa found that the mission of Free Our Vote aligns with her own experience and passions. “I think the light bulb was recognizing, wow, there are 5 million people that are returning citizens, and they can vote,” she says. “That would change everything.”

And that light-bulb moment led Marissa to become Free Our Vote’s full-time employee.

Fueled by Joy

You don’t have to talk to Marissa for very long to see her deep dedication to her work. For her, personal success comes down to the success of Free Our Vote.

So what sustains her through all of the hard work? Joy. And I believe it. While catching up over coffee in New York City, I could feel joy vibrating from her words.

So, it isn’t surprising to hear that Marissa finds joy in the powerful stories of people Free Our Vote serves. She also loves telling others about the work of Free Our Vote and discovering that they also support voting rights for returning citizens. Outside of her job, she experiences joy as a longtime cappella group member and loves performances such as singing at Christmastime.

Outside of singing, Marissa fills her joy cup by spending time with her husband, friends, and other support system members.

How You Can Support Marissa’s Work

Donations to Free Our Vote are hugely important, of course. But Marissa has a couple of other requests. First, spread the word about Free Our Vote, especially to returning citizens. “Let them know that there is a way that they can restore their voting rights,” she says. If Free Our Vote isn’t in their state yet, they’ll connect them with an organization that can help.

Marissa and Free Our Vote are also looking to the future. They want to evolve so they can offer more services to returning citizens, such as connecting them with benefits and job opportunities. So if you’re involved in related work, they want to hear from you to discuss possible partnerships or even just have conversations so you can learn from each other.

Finally, I’ll leave you with a reminder on behalf of both me and Marissa: Vote! As Marissa puts it, “We need every eligible person to know their rights and to exercise their rights.”