Why ALMOST 10% of Registered Voters May Be Barred from Casting Their Ballots

You’re registered. You show up at the correct voting location. You should be able to vote – right?

Well, maybe not. Almost 1 in 10 registered voters may have problems with voter ID that keep them from casting their ballots. Thirty-three states require voter ID and sixteen require government-issued IDs, mostly photo. Groups of voters who may not have the acceptable type of ID are numerous: primarily, those without a current driver’s license in their state (the elderly including veterans, youth, people with disabilities, for example). Low-income individuals and voters of color are also less likely to have acceptable ID to vote. Tens of millions of women will be challenged because ninety percent change their names upon marriage, and several states require an exact match between voter registration names and names on the voter ID. Millions more voters are so confused and intimidated by stringent voter ID laws that they don’t even try to vote.

These dismaying facts were shared with me recently by my friend and fellow UCLA alumna Kathleen M. Unger, M.B.A., J.D.

Kathleen is the Founder, President and CEO of VoteRiders, an organization dedicated to providing resources and outreach to secure voter IDs for eligible citizens.

A 501(c)(3) non-partisan non-profit entity, VoteRiders is the only organization that focuses exclusively on voter ID. VoteRiders informs and helps citizens to secure their voter ID as well as inspires and supports on-the-ground groups, local volunteers, and communities to sustain voter ID education and assistance efforts. Their services include a free downloadable Voter ID Clinic-in-a-Box ™ with educational and training documents and videos as well as marketing tools and guidance.

In this hotly-contested election year, VoteRiders’ work is critically important to enable all registered voters to exercise their right to choose elected officials.

Find out more at www.voteriders.org and subscribe to receive updates!

You can also follow VoteRiders on Twitter: @VoteRiders.

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