Dear John,

Here’s something our team hears a lot about voter ID laws: “They’re no big deal because everyone has an ID already.”

We know from our decade-plus of work in communities every day that this is simply not true. Lots of people don’t have a license or other form of government-issued ID. But we wanted to better understand the scale and scope of the problem, so VoteRiders partnered with Public Wise, the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland, and the Brennan Center for Justice to commission a survey to better understand who does and doesn’t have ID, and how voter ID laws are shaping the electorate in this critical year and beyond.

This email is a bit longer than what I normally send, but I think it’s important to give you a full picture of what we’re up against in 2024. There are a lot of people without acceptable voter IDs — and a lot of confusion about who needs what to vote.

You can read the full summary of the survey results here.

Our key findings include: 

• Nearly 21 million voting-age U.S. citizens do not have a current (non-expired) driver’s license. Another 28.6 million have a non-expired license, but it does not have both their current address and current name. That’s almost 50 million people — one in five eligible voters.
• Black and Hispanic Americans are disproportionately less likely to have an unexpired driver’s license with their current name and address on it. More than 25 percent of Black and Hispanic adult citizens don’t have one compared to just 5 percent of white adult citizens.
• Younger Americans overall are far less likely to have a current, unexpired driver’s license. Only 59 percent of Americans ages 18-24 have one with their up-to-date name and address on it. 
• One in five Americans living in the 38 states with voter ID requirements do not have a current driver’s license. That’s 20 percent of the electorate in those states at risk of being turned away from the polls or facing other difficulties unless they obtain an accepted form of ID before November!

As you can see, voter ID laws will play a huge role in shaping who can and can’t vote in November. But it’s not just states with voter ID laws that are impacted.

Our research found widespread confusion among voters living in ALL states about whether or not they  need an ID to vote.

• Over half (55 percent) of Americans living in strict photo voter ID states do not know their state’s laws and do not realize they will need ID to vote in-person. Young people and people in lower income groups are more likely to think they do not need an ID to vote in person.  
• Many Americans living in states that do not require photo ID to vote in-person are also mistaken about their voter ID laws. More than one-third of all voters in these states think they need a photo ID to vote, even though they do not. 
• More than half of voting eligible Americans are unsure about ID laws for voting by mail in their state. 

In recent years, we’ve seen an explosion in voter ID laws. Far from protecting the sanctity of the vote, this research shows that these laws keep millions of eligible voters from participating in our democracy. The ever-changing landscape creates confusion that leads to people being turned away at the polls in voter ID states or staying home in non-voter ID states.

With a better understanding of the scale of the problem and exactly who is facing the biggest challenges, VoteRiders is ready to help. We’re planning to reach at least 10 million voters this election cycle who are most at risk of not having an ID or not knowing about their state’s rules. 

We’re able to precisely target those most impacted like young people, students, and Black and Hispanic Americans thanks to our extensive network of partner organizations and organizers with deep community ties. Our volunteers help us reach millions of at-risk voters through texting and letters, and our sophisticated digital campaigns deliver timely and accurate voter information on a massive scale. 

Our free, one-on-one help ensures that those who need help getting a current photo ID have the support they need to get underlying documents, make appointments and get transportation — all for free, of course.

It’s a lot to do before November but we know that — given the scale of the problem — the outcome of many crucial elections in 2024 could come down to who is and isn’t able to vote due to voter ID laws. 

Here are three ways you can help right now: 

1. Spread the word. If you or anyone you know needs accurate, up-to-date information about whether you need ID to vote or what ID you can use, VoteRiders.org is always updated with trustworthy and accurate information. 
   
   
2. Volunteer. Our volunteers help us reach millions of at risk voters through texting, letter writing, and one-on-one help. Sign up for our Helpline & Chatbot Training TONIGHT or our Voter ID Assistance Orientation next Tuesday to get started!
   
   
3. Donate. We’re in the middle of our Monthly Donor Drive and just need 3 more people to become a monthly donor to reach our goal! Monthly donors help us plan for upcoming activities and outreach events because we know how many resources we can count on.

I’ll admit — it was pretty sobering to review the data from our latest research. There are millions of people who don’t know if they need an ID to vote, and millions more who don’t have the form of ID they increasingly need to vote in America today. 

But I know that thanks to our incredible staff, our network of 1,500+ partner organizations, the dedication of our 10,000 volunteers, and the thousands of VoteRiders donors and supporters, we can reach millions of people with the information and free help they need. 

Together, we can make a real difference and make sure that anyone who wants to make their voice heard on Election Day has the info and ID they need to do it.

Sincerely,

Lauren Kunis
CEO and Executive Director
VoteRiders

Follow @VoteRiders

VoteRiders is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit organization registered in the US under EIN 45-5081831.

VoteRiders
171 Pier Avenue #313
Santa Monica, CA 90405
United States 

Was this message forwarded to you? Sign up to receive VoteRiders updates. Make a donation to VoteRiders directly or through CFC #56746. Consider a planned gift to VoteRiders and join the John Lewis Legacy Circle or explore other ways to give. If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.