QUARTERLY DISPATCH | June 2024 |
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We've rounded up the latest news about VoteRiders' work and the latest voter ID news — including a major story on NPR and our partnership efforts during Pride Month and AANHPI Heritage Month!
Thank you for being so supportive of our work and an inclusive democracy! –Team VoteRiders |
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VoteRiders is Making a Difference |
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🏳️🌈 Sashaying to the Polls with Drag Out The Vote
For trans and nonbinary voters whose ID doesn't match their name and/or gender, voter ID laws can make the experience of casting a ballot invalidating and intimidating. That's why VoteRiders has partnered with Drag Out The Vote during Pride Month, to spread information and free help to all who need it, so that no one is blocked from voting because they don't have the right ID. Check out the partnership on Instagram ➡️
🗳️ Empowering Hmoob Voters This AANHPI Heritage Month and Beyond
In honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, VoteRiders spoke with Community Resource Advocate Mai Xiong about Cia Siab's partnership with VoteRiders and the work we’re doing together to increase voter engagement and representation within the Hmoob community in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Learn more about our partnership ➡️
🎂 12 Years Strong: VoteRiders Celebrates Another Impactful National Voter ID Month of Action
VoteRiders marked its 12th anniversary with a robust National Voter ID Month of Action across the country. The initiative saw remarkable success thanks to the collective efforts of partners, volunteers, supporters, and voters.
Highlights included targeted outreach efforts such as letter-writing campaigns, one-on-one assistance training for volunteers, and fundraising achievements through collaborative partnerships. VoteRiders staff educated partners on state-specific voter ID laws while digital partnerships and in-person events further amplified the importance of securing acceptable ID ahead of critical elections. Noteworthy moments included collaborating with organizations like the Harriet Tubman Freedom Fighters in Florida and participating in Second Chance Month events in Georgia.
Learn more about our jam-packed Month of Action ➡️ 🌎 "I Feel Like I'm Doing Something to Make the World a Little Better," Says VoteRiders Volunteer
“People are constantly running across roadblocks that they can’t figure out how to get around,” explains Virginia Voter ID Assistance Coordinator Lori Arbuckle. “If someone needs an ID, first they need to get a copy of their birth certificate. But to get their birth certificate, they have to show ID, which is why they need their birth certificate in the first place. It’s this circular motion that makes it hard for people to figure out how to get where they need to go.”
Discover how Lori is breaking down these barriers in her work as a VoteRiders volunteer ➡️
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Here are just a few of the impactful ways our dedicated field team collaborated with our ever-growing community of partner organizations this quarter to make sure voters have the ID information and and free help they need to make their voices heard.
🌵 ARIZONA: VoteRiders Arizona Coordinator Dani hosted a Voter ID Clinic with our friends at Campus Vote Project to assist students with navigating the state’s complicated ID laws and obtaining state-issued ID to vote. Dani had meaningful conversations with Rio Salado College students about the importance of voting and informed them on what kind of ID they need to vote, and where to turn if they need help getting one!
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🤠 TEXAS: Our Texas Coordinator Vincente joined Texas Rising at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to break down the state’s confusing voter ID law, answer questions about mail-in voting, and more! |
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Voter ID Laws Across America
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IDAHO: State Supreme Court Rules Laws Not Allowing Student IDs at the Polls Are Constitutional / Boise State Public Radio
In April, the Idaho Supreme Court unanimously upheld a law eliminating student ID cards as an acceptable form of voter ID. Students in Idaho must now ensure they have an alternate form of ID to cast a ballot that counts.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Major NH Voting Law Change Nears Finish Line Despite Objections / NHPR
Currently, to register to vote in New Hampshire, every voter needs to prove four things: identity, domicile, age, and citizenship. While the vast majority of people seeking to register to vote bring proof of these qualifications, under long-standing state law, if someone doesn’t have proof, they can instead sign a legally binding form, known as an affidavit. Under two bills introduced this year, the affidavit option would be removed for New Hampshire voters registering at the polls on Election Day. Instead, all registrants would have to provide documentary proof of all four requirements, including citizenship. Many voters do not have quick access to their birth certificate or passport, which would make this requirement very difficult if not impossible for some to comply with.
OHIO: Voting Rights Organization Highlights Increase in Ohio Provisional Ballots Rejected Over ID / Ohio Capital Journal Ohio’s new strict photo ID law is causing a large increase in rejected provisional ballots. One analysis found that between 2018 and 2022, before Ohio instituted the new voter ID law, the percentage of provisional ballots rejected due to lack of ID ranged between 5% and about 9%. But in November of 2023, after the new law took effect, that figure jumped to more than 28%. |
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| Deana, a forty-six-year-old trans woman living in North Carolina lost her apartment and became houseless in October 2023. Without a North Carolina state ID, she was unable to apply for housing assistance and had to seek temporary lodging at an emergency women’s shelter.
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At nineteen years old, Deana suffered a traumatic brain injury after being hit by a drunk driver. It took her almost twenty years to recover. “I have a lack of social, economic, emotional, and human support,” Deanna explained. “When I’m doing everything myself, I get maxed out. It’s because of my brain trauma. I can only deal with so much. I’m overwhelmed all the time.”
Fortunately, Deanna was able to find some much-needed support at a community health fair at the LGBT Center of Raleigh in December 2023. The fair offered a range of free services including sexual health testing, clothing and voter registration drives, and a booth offering ID information and assistance. Bingo. Deana approached the booth and spoke to Jenny McKenney, VoteRiders’ North Carolina Coordinator, about her situation. Read Deana’s story to learn how VoteRiders got her the ID she needed to “feel freer.” ➡️ |
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VoteRiders is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit organization registered in the US under EIN 45-5081831.
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