Wrongful Conviction Took Away Their Voice — Now They’re Taking It Back in This Year’s Election

Marvin Grimm, Jr. and his sister Lisa voting early on Oct. 11, 2024. (Photo: Courtesy of Marvin Grimm)

When Marvin Grimm Jr.’s rights were restored on Feb. 11, 2021, after 45 years of wrongful incarceration and while he was on parole, he registered to vote right away just to make sure it was really true.

“Sure enough, they let me register, and about three days later, I got my registration card,” he said. 

This year, on Oct. 11, Mr. Grimm participated in Virginia’s early voting with his sister, Lisa. 

“We weren’t expecting a large crowd [at the polls], but it was,” he said. “According to the machine I voted on, I was number 10,107 to vote in the state.”

Mr. Grimm voted in the 2021 gubernatorial election but said that this election feels different. 

“The most joy I had in casting my first presidential vote was [the fact that I was actually] exonerated,” Mr. Grimm said, adding that participating in this year’s election has allowed him to reclaim his voice in a country that once so profoundly wronged him. 

“If you don’t vote, you ain’t got a right to complain about what happens,” he said.

Jabar Walker exonerated in Manhattan on Nov. 27, 2023. (Image: Elijah Craig II/Innocence Project)

When Jabar Walker was exonerated last November in New York City, registering to vote was also on the top of his mind. 

“To me, certain things are essential,” he said. “Registering to vote was definitely at the top of my list. It was no different from me receiving my license and my passport.” 

It wasn’t always that way for Mr. Walker.

“I wasn’t educated about politics [before my wrongful conviction],” Mr. Walker admitted. 

During his years of wrongful incarceration, however, his understanding of its importance deepened. 

“I used to watch the news all the time, and I saw a lot about the government,” he said. “I remember starting to feel like, wow, every vote counts. Just one vote may make the difference in making someone president. I feel like once the right president is in office, officials who want to do things according to the Constitution will be put in these positions of power.” 

Renay Lynch, on the other hand, used to be skeptical about the power of the ballot.

“I honestly thought that it didn’t make any difference if I voted or not because they were going to do what they wanted to do anyway,” she said. 

But after nearly 26 years of wrongful conviction in Buffalo, New York, Ms. Lynch’s perspective changed. 

“I had the wrong mindset, I had the wrong way of thinking,” she said. “When I sat before those commissioners on my parole board, that’s the exact moment when I knew that my vote would make a difference.”

Ms. Lynch registered to vote on Oct. 26, just in time for the presidential election. This year, she plans to vote alongside her grandchildren, strengthening a generational bond that is centered on this vital act of civic engagement. 

“I know now that I can make a difference, and one person can make a difference,” Ms. Lynch reflected. 

As Mr. Peets, Mr. Grimm, Mr. Walker, and Ms. Lynch cast their ballots in this year’s presidential election, their stories serve as a reminder that voting is a hard-won right and freedom. They know more than most about the effects that elections can have on the lives of ordinary people. When they go to cast their votes, they’ll be thinking of the future they want for themselves, their families, and communities. Join these exonerees in making your voice heard: Find your polling location.