Let me with start with the bad news:
The largest national voter ID study in years shows just how many millions of Americans have been (and will be) impacted by the wave of strict voter ID laws that has swept across America.
The overall numbers, and who they disproportionately impact in, are sobering. And no accident.
And at a time that already too few Americans participate in our democracy, the added barrier posed by strict voter ID laws cries out for action.
The good news?
There are high-quality groups in place that are doing this exact type of work, in smart ways. In strategic ways.
But they need our help.
For my newest Podcast, I talk to Lauren Kunis, who runs the truly wonderful organization called VoteRiders, which is on the ground in a number of Strict Voter ID states, including Ohio. We walk through the eye-opening results of the recent study she and other organizations put together as they tried to get a firm grasp of the impact of this onslaught of new laws.
But then she explains the ways that VoteRiders is working so hard to address the crisis—and most importantly, how you too can help in a number of ways (individually, as an organization, etc.)
First, WATCH and LISTEN our conversation above.
Second, use the links below to learn more and take action….
To access the full study (sponsored by VoteRiders, Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland, Brennan Center for Justice, and Public Wise), go HERE:
Key datapoints from the study:
Nearly 21 million voting-age U.S. citizens do not have a current (non-expired) driver’s license. Just under 9%, or 20.76 million people, who are U.S. citizens aged 18 or older do not have a non-expired driver’s license.
Another 12% (28.6 million) have a non- expired license, but it does not have both their current address and current name. For these individuals, a mismatched address is the largest issue.
Twenty-three percent of Democrats (23 million people), 16% of Republicans (15.7 million people), and 31% of independents/others (10.5 million people) indicate they do not have a license with their current name and/or address.
Nearly 15 million people indicate they do not have a license at all, including 9% of Democrats (8.6 million people), 6% of Republicans (6.2 million people), and 18% of independents/others (5.9 million people).
Those without licenses disproportionately include Black and Hispanic Americans, young voters, voters with disabilities as well as lower income voters, and those with less education.
Large numbers of Americans do not know or are confused by the voter ID laws in their states.
Learn More and Take Action: here are some of the resources and links Lauren and I discuss in our conversation. Each link provides a way for you to take action….
VoteRiders.org/IDCheck: Be sure you know the state-by-state ID rules for voting in-person and by mail, including in your state
VoteRiders.org/FreeHelp: Start the process to get free ID help from the VoteRiders team, with VoteRiders taking care of all costs along the way! You can also call or text the Helpline at 866-ID-2-Vote.
VoteRiders.org/Student: A guide for student voters on whether or not their student ID is accepted for voting—please distribute this among any student organizations you may know
VoteRiders.org/Partner: Get connected to the VoteRiders team and learn about the ways you can partner to offer free ID help to the community you serve—any nonprofit, community group, local government, business and others can do this important work
VoteRiders.org/Volunteer: Learn about the ways you can plug into VoteRiders work as a volunteer, including both in-person and joining our regular virtual events such as text-banks and letter-writing parties…this is a great way to lift democracy wherever you are
VoteRiders.org/Donate: And last but not least, every dollar makes a difference in getting voters the ID they need to cast a ballot! Donations directly support the costs of IDs, birth certificates, and transportation to and from ID-issuing offices. Please donate to the cause if you can. Every dollar helps voters access the ID they need to vote.
Share this: Finally, this study and the work being done to combat the crisis are critical information that those who care about democracy need to know. Please consider sharing this newsletter with your networks so they too understand the problem and how they can help overcome it:
NEW Podcast: The Voter ID Nightmare