Today is the official day that Ohio’s new Voter ID restrictions take effect.
And as I explained the other day, the numbers of those potentially impacted are huge. One study found that more than 900,000 Ohioans of voting age may lack the now-required IDs. And Black (25%) and young voters (even higher) are disproportionately represented in this group. Because that’s who they always target when they suppress votes.
But looking at the Secretary of State’s website, you’d have no idea anything is even changing. Press releases about all sorts of things, but not this:
You have to navigate several pages into the SOS website to even find a list of what identification is required to vote. Of course, there’s no hint anywhere that anything has changed. And even though you can literally download large “I voted” stickers and color them in from the website…
… there’s no link to any sites that show you how to get a required ID if you don’t have one, how long it might take, etc.
(Compare this to the absolute blitz the state has led this week warning all Ohioans that the new texting while driving law also went into effect. They ran a whole campaign about it, including on signs along the highway, and are instituting a months-long warning period so drivers get acclimated to it…
…but when it comes to new restrictions on voting with which thousands are now out of compliance, silence):
That silence from the top reminds me of the old poll tax laws. In many states, the trick to making these laws brutally effective suppression tools went far beyond the actual amount you “owed.” You also had to pay the poll tax well ahead of time. The goal was to trap unknowing voters into not paying by a certain deadline that fell long before the election, so that if you showed up on election day without the “receipt” or record of having paid in advance, it was too late and you couldn’t vote. Given that the work to get these IDs takes both time and money, the same thing may now happen in 2023 and beyond.
Angry yet? I sure am.
We must fight back, and there’s a way.
A group called VoteRiders is setting up shop in Ohio, staffing up as we speak. They have one goal wherever they operate—to help voters get required IDs, and to partner with organizations so as many of them as possible can help their constituents get required IDs. I have been talking with the leadership of VoteRiders for months, and am excited they are bringing their work and experience to the Buckeye State to lift our voters.
But to be effective, they need OUR help.
Here’s how you can help:
If Frank LaRose refuses to inform voters about the new rules, and how voters can obtain the IDs now required to vote, WE can and must fill the breach. Every city, county, nonprofit, school, business, university etc.—especially those that serve voters who are disproportionately impacted by the new law—can play a proactive role in connecting their constituents into the process of gaining a valid ID. If you are part of any such organizations, or you know people in your network who are, please consider partnering with VoteRiders to lift every potential voter you can. The good news is that a number of folks and organizations are already stepping up….but we need many more!
While the state touts the IDs as “free,” obtaining the underlying documents and going through the logistics of getting an ID clearly impose a cost. The birth certificate copy many will need to track down, for example, can cost $50 or more. Transportation and time to get all this done also add costs. For those in need, these added costs amount to a poll tax that will keep many from getting the now-required IDs…and from voting. Which is why VoteRiders provides financial support directly to voters who need assistance in footing the bill to undertake the process of getting their ID. YOU can help them do this work. At my request, they have created an Ohio-specific fund that they will use to support Ohio voters directly (defraying birth certificate costs, transportation costs, etc.), and you can help those voters by giving to that fund. You can do that by linking here. (Just yesterday, we raised $7,500, which will help a whole lot of voters in need!)
There are other ways to help voters by volunteering—calling, texting or writing them letters about the need to get an ID, and how they can begin the process. You can help there as well. And the sooner we do this work, the better.
Again, all of these steps matter. Remember that old poll tax trick…LaRose and the rest of statewide leadership are silent for a (bad) reason. So the rest of us need to make some noise.
To help partner with VoteRiders to spread the word, email me directly at davidpepper4ohio@gmail.com and I will connect you.
To give to the Ohio Voter ID Support Fund, contribute here.
To volunteer in other ways, email VoteRiders directly at: Volunteer@VoteRiders.org
Thank you for fighting for democracy!
David
