QUARTERLY DISPATCH | September 2024

The clock is ticking and VoteRiders staff and volunteers are working around the clock to reach more than 10 million voters with critical voter ID information and free help before Election Day.

We've rounded up the latest news about VoteRiders' work and voter ID laws for you. Consider supporting our work with a donation today while all gifts are being matched by the Seller Family Foundation! [link removed]

Thank you for being so supportive of our work and an inclusive democracy!

– Team VoteRiders

VoteRiders is Making a Difference
♿ Q&A With New Disabled South's Lila Zucker: 'The ADA is the floor. Not the ceiling.' [[link removed]]
In honor of Disability Pride Month, VoteRiders spoke with New Disabled South’s Organizing Director Lila Zucker about Disability Pride, the importance of partnership, and what it means to navigate the voting process as a disabled American. Learn more about our partnership ➡️ [[link removed]]
🗳️ ‘People risked their lives to give us the freedom to vote,’ Says Wisconsin Voter [[link removed]]
Dana, a 56-year-old Wisconsin resident, needed an updated ID to apply for housing and qualify for government assistance, but she couldn’t afford to pay the DMV fee. Luckily, Dana connected with VoteRiders’ Wisconsin Coordinator Jake, who made sure she got the ID she needed to secure support and stability and exercise her right to vote. Read Dana’s story ➡️ [[link removed]]
🪪 The Save ACT Is Dangerous For Democracy [[link removed]]
The House of Representatives recently passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would severely threaten democracy by requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration. These measures are unnecessary, given existing laws that already ensure that only eligible US citizens vote in federal elections. This legislation would disproportionately impact marginalized groups, potentially disenfranchising millions of eligible voters. The SAVE Act is part of a broader trend of restrictive voting laws rooted in a misleading narrative about voter fraud. While it is unlikely to become law this year, it signals possible future efforts to limit voting access at both the federal and state levels. Read VoteRiders’ CEO and Executive Director Lauren Kunis’ statement for more ➡️ [[link removed]] [[link removed]]

VoteRiders on the Ground
Here are just a few impactful ways our dedicated field team collaborated with our ever-growing community of partner organizations this quarter to ensure voters have the ID information and assistance they need to make their voices heard at the ballot box.
🇺🇸 National Voter Registration Day: At VoteRiders, we don’t want anything to keep folks from making their voices heard. On National Voter Registration Day, our team helped Americans register to vote, reminded them to double-check they have the right ID to vote, and encouraged them to make a plan to cast their ballots on or before Election Day!
🤠 TEXAS: Our Houston Organizer joined local leaders at Mi Familia en Acción’s Youth Advocacy Summit to discuss her voting rights journey and encourage young Houstonians to use the power of their vote to make a difference in their communities!

VoteRiders in the News
The 19th: Anti-trans laws may complicate access to the ballot for trans voters [[link removed]] Florida Phoenix: Post 2020 voter ID restrictions are getting their first test in November elections [[link removed]]
USA Today : How a proof-of-citizenship voting rule may tilt a key swing state [[link removed]]
Democracy Docket : Debunking the Myth Surrounding Noncitizen Voting [[link removed]]
Dayton Daily News: Voting restrictions risk blocking thousands from voting – here’s how you can make sure your voice is heard [[link removed]]

VoteRiders on the Air
Click2Houston: Transgender voter concerns over Texas DPS updated ID policy [[link removed]]
Ceridwen Cherry, VoteRiders' Legal Director, explains how changes to the Texas Department of Public Safety could disenfranchise thousands of transgender and nonbinary voters.

Defending Democracy Podcast: How voter ID laws keep millions of people from voting with Lauren Kunis [[link removed]]
Lauren Kunis, CEO and Executive Director of VoteRiders, joins Marc Elias to break down these stats on all things voter ID, myths behind noncitizens voting, and more.

Today’s Edition Newsletter: Interview of Kathleen Unger and Lauren Kunis [[link removed]]
VoteRiders Founder/President and CEO/Executive Director joined Robert Hubbell to talk about the confusing and restrictive voter ID laws that are denying thousands of Americans the right to vote — and what VoteRiders is doing to stop the dangerous impact these laws have on democracy.

Fox News: GOP pushes to enforce proof-of-citizenship to vote [[link removed]]
VoteRiders Legal Director counters the common misconception that most Americans already have a government-issued ID, highlighting VoteRiders nationwide survey which found that almost 21 million Americans do not.

The Lincoln Project: Every Vote Counts with Lauren Kunis [[link removed]]
Rick Wilson speaks with VoteRiders CEO and Executive Director Lauren Kunis about the disenfranchising impact voter ID laws have on underrepresented communities and what VoteRiders is doing to ensure all voters have access to the ballot box.

Voter ID Laws Across America
ARIZONA: SCOTUS Ruling on Citizenship Proof for New Voters Has an Outsized Impact for Native Voters [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] / AZ Mirror
In August, the Supreme Court issued an emergency ruling that impacts the ID voters must show to register to vote in Arizona. Arizona has long required that voters provide documentary proof of their US citizenship to register to vote in local and state elections. However, until the SCOTUS ruling, voters who registered using the Arizona voter registration form, but did not provide proof of citizenship, could still be registered to vote in federal elections. Now, due to the Court’s recent ruling, those registrations are rejected. Currently, there are over 41,000 “federal only” registered voters in Arizona. VoterRiders is reaching out to all of those voters to offer help in getting the documentation they need to ensure they can vote in all races in November.

TEXAS: Transgender Texans Blocked from Changing Their Sex on Their Driver's License [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] / The Texas Tribune
Transgender and non-binary Texans can no longer change the sex on their driver’s license or state ID to align with their gender identity — even if they present the state with a certified court order or an amended birth certificate verifying the change. Texas joins a growing list of states that no longer allow gender marker changes. VoteRiders is stepping in to help these voters who can no longer get a state-issued ID with their correct gender marker by assisting them in getting a federally-issued passport card, which allows them to select their correct gender marker.

OHIO: Citizens Caught in Ohio Noncitizen Voting Audit Say Latest Letter Offers Incomplete Information [[link removed]] [[link removed]] / Ohio Capital Journal
Ohio, like an increasing number of states nationwide, has been flagging properly registered US citizens based on outdated citizenship data. Many states have been performing matches between their voter registration rolls and DMV data, however, many newly naturalized citizens received a driver’s license or state ID card before becoming a citizen, leading to the DMV citizenship data being outdated. VoteRiders is encouraging all naturalized citizens to check their voter registration and update their ID with the DMV to ensure they aren’t incorrectly purged.

Voter Story
Jarell didn’t know when things would get easier, but he knew it started with getting a new ID — he hadn’t had one in forty years.
At fifty-four years old, Jarell Blake was living on the streets of Tucson, Arizona for the past two years while attending the University of Arizona College of Nursing. Although he wanted to stay in a shelter, he was told this wouldn’t be possible without an ID.
Jarell couldn’t get a new identification because he had no valid birth certificate. His original copy was severely damaged from years of wear and tear and was no longer legible. He attempted to secure a new copy years ago, but soon after he got one, his bag was stolen — and the new copy of his birth certificate with it.
This time around, Jarell couldn’t even consider the fee for a copy of the new birth certificate.

Read Jarell’s story to learn how VoteRiders helped him get the ID he needed to secure stable housing, become a registered nurse, and participate in democracy ➡️ [[link removed]]

ALL DONATIONS MATCHED [[link removed]]
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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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