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QUARTERLY DISPATCH | March 2025
VoteRiders is Making a Difference
Women Lead at the Ballot Box, And Lawmakers Are Trying to Change That [[link removed]]
It’s no secret that women are the backbone of our democracy. Voting at higher rates than men since 1980, women continue to power our electorate. Their voices shape our lives and communities — from the price of groceries to the quality of our schools. Women are making and breaking history every single day [[link removed]] , [[link removed]] but lawmakers are still trying to suppress their power by passing unnecessary and harmful voter ID laws.
At VoteRiders, we make it our mission to fight back. Since 2012, we’ve teamed up with over 2,300 organizations across the country to help voters navigate the harmful and utterly confusing barriers to the ballot box. From single mothers, unhoused women, domestic abuse survivors, trans women, and more, we’re making sure all women have what they need to keep fighting for the freedom to vote. Here’s how ➡️ [[link removed]]
VoteRiders’ Helpline Heroes Offer Lifeline to Confused Voters [[link removed]]
Ahead of Election Day 2024, calls and texts to VoteRiders’ national Voter ID Helpline soared as voters faced unprecedented barriers to the ballot box. This record-breaking activity reflects the extent to which millions of Americans may be confused and intimidated by unnecessary voter ID requirements [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] — which are passing at alarming rates across the country. For thousands of voters across the country, our Helpline was more than just a resource, it was a lifeline, ensuring they could make their voices heard in one of the most consequential elections in US history. Learn more about what our Helpline volunteers do and how they make an impact ➡️ [[link removed]]
The Power and Promise of the Black Vote [[link removed]]
From the peach orchards of Georgia to the dairy farms of Wisconsin and beyond, read about the ways VoteRiders is teaming up with our pro-democracy allies to make sure voting is a powerful tool for Black voters to build and protect their futures ➡️ [[link removed]]
What Is the SAVE Act, and How Would it Block Eligible US Citizens From Voting? [[link removed]]
The new House majority in the 119th Congress has unveiled 12 top-tier legislative priorities, including passing the Safeguard Voter Eligibility Act, aka the “SAVE” Act. Don’t be fooled by its name – this bill is BAD for democracy. If enacted, this suppression bill would keep millions of eligible US citizens from voting. The bill would require all Americans to present one of a short list of documents to prove their US citizenship (like a passport or birth certificate) to register to vote or update their voter registration — directly impacting people registering to vote for the first time or re-registering after a move, a name change, or a party switch.
Many people may ask, "doesn’t every American already have a passport or birth certificate?" The short answer is no, definitely not. And that’s why this could be one of the most destructive voter suppression bills in modern US history. The SAVE Act is expected to come to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote this month. Learn how you can help us take action. (So far, over 13,000 emails have been sent to Congress!) ➡️ [[link removed]]
John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act Reintroduced [[link removed]]
This month, ahead of the 60th anniversary of the Selma, Alabama, Bloody Sunday march, legislators reintroduced The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (JLVRAA) , which would update and strengthen key parts of the Voting Rights Act that the Supreme Court struck down in 2013.
The JLVRAA would make it easier for eligible voters to access their freedom to vote, especially in places that have a proven history of erecting barriers to the ballot box for some citizens. VoteRiders joined other voting rights organizations in telling elected officials to protect, strengthen, and expand democracy at this critical time in our nation’s history. Take action with us ➡️ [[link removed]]
VoteRiders on the Ground
NORTH CAROLINA
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This March, our North Carolina State Director Jenny McKenney joined Vaya Health’s resource fair and panel event, “Unfiltered: The Effects of Social Media,” at the Boys and Girls Club in Oxford, North Carolina, to deliver free voter ID information and help to high school students. Voting with a student ID can be tricky in North Carolina, so Jenny made sure the young and soon-to-be voters there knew we can help them get a state ID for free!
GEORGIA
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Beyond voting, an ID is crucial for employment. That’s why our Georgia team joined Midtown High School’s job fair to speak to students about our free ID services and how they can work with us to get the ID they need to vote AND work in Georgia.
VoteRiders in the News
The Washington Post: For many, proving US citizenship to vote could be costly and difficult [[link removed]]
NPR: A Republican-backed bill would upend voter registration. Here are 8 things to know [[link removed]]
The 19th : An effort to block non-citizens from voting could impact married women, too [[link removed]]
Southern Poverty Law Center : Ballot box barriers: Making elections accessible to all eligible voters [[link removed]]
KVUE: Texas Senate panel hears testimony on bill that would require voters to prove their citizenship [[link removed]]
WITF: Path forward to voter ID in Pa., as long as it "doesn't disenfranchise" [[link removed]]
VoteRiders on the Air
365 AMPLIFIED: Justice, Health, and Voter Rights — The Week in Wisconsin [[link removed]]
Our Wisconsin State Director, Jake Spence, joined 365 AMPLIFIED to discuss the constitutional amendment on Wisconsin’s April 1 ballot that would entrench the state’s existing voter ID law into the state constitution. Tune in [[link removed]] for more on how voter ID laws disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and Latino voters, young people, and low-income communities.
Southern Gumption: Ballots Within Reach [[link removed]]
Our North Carolina State Director, Jenny McKenny, joined Dom Kelly of New Disabled South to discuss barriers to voting in North Carolina, including inaccessible polling locations and the state’s discriminatory voter ID law. But the conversation isn’t all doom and gloom. Dom and Jenny also highlight the powerful solutions and advocacy efforts our organizations are using to build resilient communities and make sure every vote is counted.
Voter ID Laws Across America
NATIONAL: Trump signs order seeking to overhaul US elections, including requiring proof of citizenship [[link removed]] [[link removed]] / AP News
Requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote continues to be a top priority for Congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration. House Republicans included the SAVE Act as one of their key legislative priorities and may vote on it as soon as next week. Earlier this week, the Trump Administration issued an executive order seeking to require documents proving citizenship for voters registering to vote using the federal voter registration form. This Executive Order is an illegal attempt to circumvent the responsibilities of Congress, the states, and the Election Assistance Commission to regulate elections. VoteRiders’ research confirms that millions of Americans would be impacted if this Executive Order were allowed to stand.
NATIONAL: Rubio instructs staff to freeze passport applications with 'X' sex markers [[link removed]] [[link removed]] / The Guardian
The Trump Administration has overturned the previous policy, which began in 2022, of offering passports using a non-binary “X” gender marker. Additionally, State Department staff were instructed to “suspend any application where the applicant is seeking to change their sex marker” on their passport or passport card.
TEXAS: Texas Senate majority unveils bill requiring voters to prove their citizenship [[link removed]] / KETK
Texas appears poised to adopt a proof of citizenship law after every Senate Republican co-sponsored the bill. VoteRiders’ Houston Regional Director Jessica Hulett testified against SB16 in the Senate to raise awareness that massive numbers of Texans would be unable to participate if the bill were enacted. It now heads to the House.
WISCONSIN: Wisconsin voters to decide whether to put photo ID requirement in constitution [[link removed]] / Votebeat
Wisconsin voters are heading to the polls for an extremely important statewide election on April 1, which will determine control of the state’s Supreme Court. They will also be asked whether to enshrine the state’s existing voter photo ID law into the state constitution. While this would not change the current ID requirements for voters, it would make future legal challenges to the law much harder.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: At least 96 people turned away from town meeting polls due to new state voting law, group says [[link removed]] / New Hampshire Bulletin
New Hampshire has joined the growing list of states that require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote. Proof of citizenship laws are especially problematic in a state like New Hampshire, which does not offer online voter registration. As a result, many New Hampshire voters rely on same-day registration at the polls to register or update their voter registration if they move. This new law was tested for the first time in municipal elections in March. It did not go well. At least 96 voters were turned away due to not having the required proof of citizenship documents.
Voter Story
[link removed] [[link removed]] After a fire ravaged Denesha’s home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she took shelter at the Milwaukee Salvation Army Emergency Lodge with her son. There, they were connected to Hope House, a rapid re-housing facility that could help Denesha secure stable housing. But there was a hurdle: enrolling required that she submit birth certificates for herself and her child — documents she no longer had and couldn’t afford to replace.
The financial strain, combined with navigating the complex system of replacing lost ID documents, left Denesha feeling overwhelmed and stuck. Just when hope was starting to feel out of reach, a staff member at the Emergency Lodge connected her with VoteRiders and explained that we could help.
[[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] Read Denesha’s story to learn how we helped this Wisconsin mother feel relief after what felt like a very long journey of setbacks ➡️ [[link removed]] [[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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