VoteRiders
VoteRiders is an American non-partisan,[3] non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to ensure that all US citizens over 18 years old are able to exercise their right to vote.[4][5] Through resources and media exposure, one of its main focuses is assisting citizens who want to secure their voter ID,[6] and it often collaborates with other organizations in these efforts.[7][8]
Formation
VoteRiders is the leading nonpartisan voting rights organization providing voter ID solutions In the United States.[9]
Overview and mission[edit]
VoteRiders was founded in 2012 by Kathleen Unger,[10] an election integrity specialist,[11][12] and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.[13]
A 501(c)(3) national tax-exempt organization, VoteRiders has been featured extensively in local,[14][15][16][17] national,[18][19][20][21][22] and international[23][24] media in connection with voter ID issues.[25][26] VoteRiders' President Kathleen Unger has been asked to speak on voter ID issues at colleges and universities such as Pepperdine University,[27][28] Occidental College,[29] Stanford University,[30] and Columbia University.[31] Unger has also participated as an expert/panelist at such events as the Carter Center Baker Institute webinar on Voter Registration and Voter ID.[32]
To promote the cause of ballot access nationwide, VoteRiders has broadened its website to be a comprehensive portal for state-by-state information about voter ID requirements and has developed printable wallet cards that highlight the IDs specified in each state's voter ID law in English and Spanish, which are available on its website. They also established a toll free helpline that citizens can call or text for voter ID information and assistance.[33][34]
The non-profit's voter outreach includes holding Voter ID Clinics, which provide direct aid to local communities to assist citizens in obtaining critical documents like birth certificates and proof of citizenship. The VoteRiders volunteer team[35] participates in outreach such as research, training, tabling, phone- and text-banking as well as letter-writing. VoteRiders partners with national organizations such as the Election Protection Coalition and Rock the Vote as well as state and local organizations.
VoteRiders received the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency (formerly GuideStar) in 2021,[36] its highest level of transparency.[37]
Research and analysis[edit]
The 2023 study conducted by VoteRiders and the University of Maryland Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement analysis shows that nearly 29,000,000 voting-age Americans do not possess a non-expired, government-issued photo ID. Young people, people of color, and women, are the groups most affected by Voter ID laws. This data reinforces how the shifting landscape of state-level voter ID laws creates confusion and challenges for additional millions of Americans.[100]
Voter ID laws vary nationwide. According to a study cited in Journalist's Resource,[101] a reference desk established by the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University, the "evidence supports the notion that strict voter identification laws prevent otherwise eligible individuals from voting, and have disproportionately negative impacts on minority citizens."
Professor Carol Anderson, author of One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy, was interviewed on "The Daily Show" on October 1, 2018, and at KQED News[102] on October 23, 2018, where she discussed modern-day voter suppression and mentioned VoteRiders as a resource for people who need voter ID.
Voter ID laws[edit]
A 2019 documentary narrated by Jeffrey Wright, Rigged: The Voter Suppression Playbook,[103] included clips that featured VoteRiders.
VoteRiders founder Kathleen Unger wrote a column entitled "End the voting confusion and misinformation war," which was published in The Hill on October 30, 2018.[104] That same year, an NBC News article[105] noted that VoteRiders is highly effective in its grassroots efforts to help eligible voters obtain ID while other organizations fight restrictive laws in the judicial system. A law professor and voting experts quoted in the article said that challenging strict laws in court and helping citizens comply with existing rules at the same time is essential.
An interview with Kathleen Unger in the January 6, 2021 issue of Ms. described her as "one of the leading experts and legal minds when it comes to election protection" and quotes her that "VoteRiders was born of outrage - my outrage that people will be deprived of their right to vote"[106]
On April 27, 2021, Unger was interviewed by ABC News' Devin Dwyer where she spoke of the urgency of voter ID efforts in the face of new voting requirements being enacted in multiple US states.[107]
In 2022, thirty-six states in the U.S. had voter ID laws. Twelve of those states had "strict" voter ID laws which may have required voters who did not have an acceptable form of ID to submit a provisional ballot and seven of those required a valid photo ID. "[A] trans voter might very likely find themselves in a situation where they present an ID that doesn't necessarily align with the name or the gender that they currently identify(...) They're more likely to face sort of outright mechanical challenges when it comes to voting," said Lauren Kunis, CEO and Executive Director of VoteRiders. Since the 2020 election, eleven states have passed new or stricter voter ID laws, which could play a significant role in election outcomes, according to Kunis.[108]
In November 2023, Newsweek published an article highlighting an election warning from VoteRiders about voter confusion following passage of a spate of new voter ID laws in multiple states.[109] The nonpartisan voter rights group noted that the number of calls and texts it fielded from voters needing assistance to obtain ID to vote in 2023 elections skyrocketed by nearly 300% over requests received in 2021, the most recent similar election year.
The organization said that in the week before November 7, 2023, as Americans in numerous states prepared to vote in elections that would decide high-stakes state ballot initiatives and gubernatorial and state house elections, VoteRiders experienced an uptick in urgent requests for voter ID assistance. The non-profit received almost 80% more requests for help than it received in 2021.
Newsweek cited additional data from VoteRiders outlining the growing number of hurdles eligible voters must overcome to cast a ballot. For example, the number of Americans who live in a voter ID state increased by 52 million since 2012, and since 2020, 17 states passed new or more stringent voter ID requirements. Lauren Kunis, CEO and Executive Director of VoteRiders, told Newsweek that the rapid increase in requests for assistance signals an urgent need for voter education on ID requirements.
Impacted demographics[edit]
In the run-up to the 2018 election, VoteRiders was mentioned as a resource to help voters obtain ID in a Glamour magazine article about modern attempts to disenfranchise women and people of color.[110]
A VoteRiders coordinator was quoted in an Essence article published on November 1, 2018, about the importance of ensuring that black women participate in the democratic process.[111]
In the 2020 election, 35 states had voter ID laws. Some states require a current government-issued photo ID, while others' requested list may include an official document such as a bank statement, paystub or utility bill showing the voter's name and address. VoteRiders founder Kathleen Unger noted that in many states "it's not enough to register to vote." She announced that VoteRiders is partnering with major law firms and other voter protection groups to provide assistance to voters who need information on the ID laws in their state and help them obtain the required ID.[112]
Unger raised the alarm about the possibility that signature matching problems on mail-in ballots could become the "hanging chad of 2020" since more voters are expected to vote by mail due to the pandemic. She noted that older voters, younger voters and voters with disabilities may be especially vulnerable to having their ballots disqualified due to signature matching issues.[113]
In an October 2022 article on obstacles trans people face due to voter ID laws and state rules governing trans identification, Rolling Stone cited VoteRiders as a resource that can help voters get the ID they need and respond to challenges from elections officials.[114][115] VoteRiders was also cited as a voter ID resource for trans voters in an October 2022 article in The 19th and a trans voter guide published in November 2022 by Them.[116][117]
The Robert Hubbell Newsletter highlighted that members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups were less likely to have a current driver's license or other government-issued photo ID.[118] Women, because of name changes associated with marriage and divorce, up to 37,000,000 voting-age women have proof-of-citizenship documents that do not reflect their legal name.[119]
To help ensure that all eligible citizens can exercise their right to vote, VoteRiders gets involved with on-the-ground voter education initiatives and provides expertise to local, national, niche and youth-oriented media outlets to reach voters and increase awareness of potential obstacles to voting. Examples of these efforts include the following:
Reception[edit]
Its work on advocacy and legal aid has been described by Professor Carol Anderson, author of One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy, as one that "makes the difference in whether thousands of people get to vote or are disenfranchised."[188] Joshua Douglas has called VoteRiders "one of the most important democracy groups you've probably never heard of."[189] The Rockefeller Foundation reports that VoteRiders has achieved reaching over 7 million voters directly with ID information and assistance with a dedicated group of 9,000 volunteers, in the 2022 election cycle.[38]