Dear John,
VoteRiders turned 11 this month, and I wanted to share some reflections with you as I look back at all that we’ve learned and accomplished in that time.
I founded VoteRiders in 2012 because I saw a great need to help people obtain IDs. More (and stricter) voter ID laws were passing in statehouses across the country and suddenly millions of eligible voters — many of whom had been voting for years without incident — had a new barrier they needed help to overcome and cast a ballot that counts.
I also saw a lot of confusion stemming from these laws. Some states had them, some didn’t. The list of acceptable IDs changed from state to state. I saw signs that millions of Americans would likely stay at home rather than risk being embarrassed in front of their neighbors and turned away for not having the right form of ID.
There were thousands of organizations focused on voter registration. And there were thousands more focused on getting out the vote. But there weren’t any solely focused on the often difficult and time-consuming process of helping people get the IDs they needed to cast their ballot. And so VoteRiders was born.
In the 11 years since, we have grown to a staff of more than 20 committed and diverse individuals, including on-the-ground organizers in eight states with restrictive and often-changing voter ID laws. We’ve partnered with more than 1,250 organizations and counting, and our community of volunteers has grown to over 10,000 dedicated patriots. We’ve distributed millions of bilingual, state-specific Voter ID Information Cards. We’ve answered tens of thousands of calls and texts via our Helpline. And we’ve helped tens of thousands of eligible voters obtain an ID, all for free.
One question I get asked all the time is “doesn’t everyone already have an ID?” The answer, simply, is no. The most recent estimate is that 25 million eligible voters nationwide lack an unexpired government-issued photo ID.
And it’s usually not simple to get one. In some cases, we help people request new copies of birth certificates or social security cards that were lost or destroyed. We help people secure updated documents that reflect a name change. Sometimes people can’t get to an ID-issuing office because they lack transportation — so we get them there. Sometimes, the fees for replacing a missing document, or obtaining a new ID, are unaffordable — so we cover those expenses.
Through it all, I’m so grateful to all our supporters for contributing to our work, volunteering their time, sharing our resources on social media, to say nothing of referring friends and loved ones to us for help with an ID. Your dedicated commitment to this organization has allowed us to grow our work to meet the moment year after year.
If you’re concerned with the barriers facing voters who lack an ID, my most important message is that NOW is the time to act. In the 11 years since I founded VoteRiders, I’ve learned that procrastination is not the voter’s friend when it comes to voter ID.
Under normal circumstances it can take a long time — even six months — for governmental agencies to issue a certified copy of a birth certificate or a marriage license that’s needed to prove a name change.
2024 will be a very consequential presidential election year. If you care about big issues like abortion, health care, gun safety, or education, you’ll want to be sure your voice is heard — and the voices of your neighbors, family, and friends — regardless of where they live. We need to start now with our outreach efforts to ensure everyone knows what ID they need (if any), and how to get one.
And if they need any help along the way — VoteRiders is here.
Thank you so much for celebrating our birthday with us!
Sincerely,
Kathleen Unger
Founder and Board Chair
VoteRiders
