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Civic Participation
Voter Information
Voting Rights and Access
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Voter ID Help: Educating and assisting citizens to secure their voter ID
The Problem
38 U.S. states have voter ID laws for the 2024 election cycle. With many states adding voter ID restrictions since the last presidential election in 2020 and even since the 2022 midterm elections, 52 million more Americans live in a voter ID state than in 2012. New ID requirements for in-person and mail-in voting are leading to unprecedented levels of ballot rejection and overarching voter confusion. The estimated 34.5 million Americans who lack a current government-issued photo ID are disproportionately from marginalized communities, including over a quarter of Black adult citizens (28%) and Hispanic adult citizens (27%). Younger Americans overall are also far less likely to have a driver’s license with their current name and/or address, with 40% under 30 lacking a current ID. Given rules that require a match between voter rolls and ID, voters who change their name (70% of women who marry and most transgender individuals) are challenged by ID laws.
The Approach
VoteRiders seeks to support every eligible U.S. voter to cast a ballot despite the mounting barriers presented by voter ID laws.
Their two-pronged strategy includes the Voter ID Education and Outreach program, which consists of a website and digital tools that offer up-to-date information in English and Spanish about voter ID laws for in-person and absentee voting in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. They provide information via a toll-free Voter ID Helpline, educational Voter ID Information Cards, and on-the-ground teams. Voters can connect with a VoteRiders team member through the Chatbot, Helpline, and website to ask questions and receive free assistance.
Through the Voter ID Assistance program, VoteRiders provides personalized assistance for voters, including: covering the cost of required documents like birth certificates or Social Security cards; arranging and paying for transportation to their local ID-issuing office; and providing pro bono legal assistance. They also collaborate with partner organizations to host onsite Voter ID Clinics, which are designed to assist multiple voters with their documents and IDs during a scheduled time period. These events make it easy and convenient for prospective voters to access one-on-one assistance.
The Impact
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Directly reach an average of 7 million individuals annually through the Voter ID Education and Outreach program
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Directly reach an average of 11,000 individuals annually through the Voter ID Assistance program
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Ahead of two special elections in Ohio, sent over 13,000 letters to targeted voters, and reached over 1.3 million young voters of color with election and ID reminders through text banks. Outreach efforts reached upwards of 2 million at-risk voters.
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Direct voter outreach, including calls, texts, and handwritten letters, reached 4.5 million voters
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Distributed almost 600,000 state-specific, multilingual Voter ID Information Cards
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Over 11,000 individuals accessed one-on-one voter ID assistance
The Future
VoteRiders plans to leverage their accessible resources and assistance and continually expand partnerships with a diverse range of 1,500+ partner organizations and reach 10 million voters in the 2024 election cycle. They will help ensure voting access for the communities most likely to be disenfranchised, particularly in the states with both voter ID laws and elections that are expected to be closely contested.