VoteRiders

VoteRiders’ mission is to ensure that no eligible voter is prevented from casting a ballot that counts due to voter ID laws, either directly from lacking acceptable ID or indirectly because of voter confusion. VoteRiders educates voters and assists citizens to secure their voter ID. We inspire and support organizations, volunteers, and communities to sustain such voter ID education and assistance efforts.

Voter ID laws have a massive, negative impact on the electorate. There is a measurable gap in existing Direct Voter Contract programs: they do not educate and assist millions of voters with identification issues in a meaningful way.
Our Voter ID Direct Voter Contract Partnerships are a cost-effective, scalable solution.

Strategic Concept: Identification, Education, Assistance
The stages of our strategic concept are identification, education, and assistance. The biggest challenge in building a voter ID program is identifying and connecting with the individuals who need assistance. As noted above, the universe of those requiring voter ID is large and diverse; eligible voters without a current driver’s license in their state as well as low propensity voters are difficult to track and locate.

Once voters requiring assistance are located, they need up-to-date and accurate information that is accessible and easy to understand. The next step is individual assistance. A system and resources must exist to help each vulnerable voter through the entire process of obtaining voter ID.

Voter ID Direct Voter Contact Partnerships
Our Voter ID Direct Voter Contact Partnerships aim to break down existing information silos and build a holistic voter ID effort by partnering with organizations that are in the field and interacting with voters who have questions and need voter ID assistance.
The three main program components of our direct voter contact partnership proposal are: 1)
Gathering voter ID information; 2) Sharing the data with VoteRiders; and 3) Voter ID assistance. We envision executing this primarily through canvassing but could also be accomplished through phonebanking or even textbanking.

Our proven voter ID services include Voter ID Clinics that help citizens obtain their birth certificate, change-of-name and other documents required to secure a state-mandated ID for voting purposes or documentary proof of citizenship where required to register to vote. Such services help citizens who face special challenges in getting their identification they need disproportionately impact marginalized peoples. Those who are economically marginalized often benefit from our services more than the chance to exercise their vote. By securing valid ID, they are in a better position to access housing, employment opportunities, and more. Other marginalized folks are disproportionately impacted by voter ID laws. Because 80% of women change their names with marriage, and sometimes divorce, they are far more likely to have identification that doesn't match stringent voter ID laws, and transgender people are even less likely to have matching ID. Our work with communities including people experiencing homelessness, survivors of domestic violence, and returning citizens who are no longer incarcerated is effective and impactful in helping all Americans exercise their freedom to vote and more.

VoteRiders builds Voter ID Coalitions in voter ID states with highly competitive races and hires Voter ID Coalition Coordinators to provide targeted, additive resources to partner organizations and the community. VoteRiders works with local organizations to provide training, information and outreach. VoteRiders (and its team of volunteers including pro bono lawyers when needed) then assists voters on an individual basis through the entire voter ID process.

Our dynamic professional staff and board includes the top minds on Voter ID issues and volunteer managers, state level coordinators, and connections with others with the know how and energy to meet our goals.

VoteRiders' national education and assistance campaign includes the following:
• A toll-free Voter ID Helpline and website, which provide assistance, resources, and information on voter ID;
• Media outreach via both traditional and social media, including stories to key reporters, press conferences, print articles, Facebook, and Twitter.
• Resources to organizational partners to incorporate into their own voter outreach campaigns, such as:
o Wallet-sized Voter ID Information Cards highlighting voter ID requirements for each state in English and in Spanish;
o Voter ID Guides, providing detailed information on navigating the legal and other processes necessary to obtain ID in each state; and,
o Voter ID Clinic-in-a-Box and Voter ID Month Toolkit, step-by- step instructions enabling organizations to conduct their own voter ID events.

Our 2022 Campaign Metrics

• 5,859,846 views of our PSAs occurred in movie theaters
• 964,378 free Voter ID Information Cards for our partner organizations’ distribution
• 944,033 text messages were sent to voters by VoteRiders volunteers
• 423,221 voters were reached with voter ID educational content via social media, paid media, and our website
• 123,871 letters were written, or phone calls made, to voters by VoteRiders volunteers
• 27,395 through presentations/partners’ staff trainings and other outreach
• 6,911 voters were individually assisted for free by VoteRiders staff or volunteers at Voter ID Clinics or virtually to obtain their state-issued ID
• 5,308 voters who called/texted/emailed our Helpline received assistance
• 1,852 voters were helped using our online Chatbot


VoteRiders now has over 1,100+ national and local partners, and all of them are crucial to our – and our voter “clients’” – success.

By the end of the 2022 cycle, we surpassed our goal and directly reached nearly 3 million new voters. Plus, we indirectly informed and educated many millions more.