NEWTON, N.C. -- There are 21 new voters on Catawba County’s rolls this week whose address on the registration is the county jail.

With the help of the local NACCP, Sheriff David Huffman arranged to register eligible and willing inmates for the upcoming November election.

Eligibility is tricky in jail. The North Carolina constitution specifies that convicted felons currently serving a sentence, including probation, are not eligible to vote. That means all inmates awaiting trial, or serving on a misdemeanor are eligible. It also means that convicted felons can be reinstated once they’ve served their time.

Catawba County carefully screened the 230-plus inmates in the jail, and found 21 both eligible and interested. Huffman plans to have the Board of Elections bring polls to the jail for early voting sometime during the week of Oct. 20.

“It’s nothing that we are required to do. It’s nothing we have to do. It’s just that we thought it was the right thing to do,” Huffman said.

At a little café across town, NewsChannel 36 found the topic was fodder for a few jokes, and some civic debate.

“Why are they spending taxpayer money when he should be doing his normal duties, instead of taking his time to do that?” Teresa Parker asked.

“They might be in jail, but I think they have a right in this country just like we do,” another woman said.

“If they vote Democrats, then they are not eligible to vote,” one man joked.

In fact, the Republican sheriff says 19 of the inmates registered as Democrats.

“I don’t think we had too much political incentive to do this,” he laughed. “It’s their right to vote, and I think everyone should have that right.”