About
VoteRiders
VoteRiders’ mission is to ensure that no eligible voter is prevented from casting a ballot that counts due to voter ID laws, either directly from lack of acceptable ID or indirectly because of voter confusion. VoteRiders educates voters and assists citizens to secure their voter ID. We inspire and support organizations, volunteers, and communities to sustain such voter ID education and assistance efforts.
Our Freedom to Vote is Under Attack
Voter ID laws prevent or intimidate millions of eligible Americans from casting a ballot that counts.
To address this crisis in our democracy, VoteRiders works nationwide to provide voter ID education and assistance to all eligible voters who are in need. We equip voters with what they need to vote with confidence, knowing they cannot be turned away.
BARRIERS TO THE BALLOT
Tens of millions of voters find that obtaining an ID that fulfills voting requirements is costly and confusing. It often requires navigating arcane systems and bureaucratic barriers that cost time and money. All to exercise a basic freedom that should be equally accessible to all Americans.
We also see massive confusion about voter ID rules in EVERY STATE – among voters and poll workers alike. State laws are complicated to understand and often changing. Confusion can easily lead to disenfranchisement for too many Americans unless we take action.
UNEQUAL IMPACT
Voter ID laws present a challenge for millions of eligible voters. But they impact some Americans more than others. A Brennan Center survey of US citizens found significant disparities between who has current, government-issued photo ID.
11% of voting-age citizens – more than 25 million individuals by current census figures – do not have current (unexpired) government-issued photo identification.
25% of Black Americans (1 in four!) voting-age citizens do not have current government-issued photo ID compared to eight percent of white voting-age citizens. Using current census figures, there are about 7,750,000 adult Black citizens without photo identification.
18% of American citizens age 65 and above do not have a current government-issued photo ID. Using current census estimates, this amounts to about 7,250,000 senior citizens.
18% of citizens aged 18-24 do not have photo ID with current address and name. Using current census tallies, about 5,500,000 young adult citizens are in jeopardy of not being able to vote.
Voter ID laws also disproportionately impact women. Because most married women change their name, they may still have their maiden name on their driver’s license or voter registration.
The Brennan Center survey found that 48% of voting-age women don’t have easy access to their birth certificates with their current legal name.
Based on current census data, the only available proof-of-citizenship documents possessed by almost 37 million voting-age women do not reflect their current name.
