"A lot of Americans don't vote because they don't know they can," says Florida voter

Florida’s confusing ID requirements had trapped April Stemann in a years-long struggle to obtain a state ID, leaving her without access to basic services or the ability to vote in person. After venting her frustrations online, April discovered VoteRiders, and with the help of a dedicated volunteer, she finally secured the documents she needed and cast her vote by mail. Now, April is back on track, equipped with her new ID and the confidence to vote in all future elections. 

BY ERIN CARDEN, DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, VOTERIDERS — DECEMBER 13, 2024

April Stemann was heartbroken and outraged when she realized she could have voted in the 2020 general election. 

At 47 years old, that election was the first time in her adult life that she did not vote. Why? Because she didn’t have a photo ID and had no idea that voters in Florida could vote by mail without one.

For the past four years, April has been caught in an endless loop trying to obtain a Florida state ID. Every time she went to her local DMV, she was told she needed another ID document she didn’t have. First, she needed her Social Security card. Then her birth certificate. Then divorce papers from her first marriage. And when she thought she’d gathered everything—adding a license from her second marriage to the stack—the DMV hit her with yet another demand: her marriage certificate from her first marriage, which was over thirty years ago.

“First, my birth certificate wasn’t good enough,” April explained. “Then this, then that. Then they said, ‘Now you need your divorce papers from your first marriage in Virginia.’ Okay. I got that. ‘Oh no, now that ain’t good enough—you need your marriage certificate from your first marriage.’”

Having previously lived in Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana, April had never faced this obstacle before. Although she managed to track down her divorce papers with help from her ex-husband, she was unable to reach him a second time for their marriage certificate. She was ready to give up. Without a Florida state ID, April was also unable to open a bank account and could no longer earn supplemental income. 

“I’ve been mad at Florida for four years,” she said. “Are you kidding me? You’re going to make it this difficult for a person to get an ID. Are you serious?”

Frustrated and unsure what to do next, April vented about her difficulties in a Facebook post. To her surprise, someone commented with a solution: VoteRiders. 

April checked out VoteRiders’ website and learned they could help her track down the document she needed to finally secure her state ID. She submitted a help inquiry and was soon contacted by Michael, a dedicated VoteRiders volunteer. 

When April explained that she couldn’t track down her marriage license through her ex-husband, Michael got creative. Knowing that Virginia keeps many public records accessible online, he wondered if her marriage certificate might be available on Ancestry.com. After some digging, he found it. 

“That was the first time I’ve ever laid eyes on that marriage certificate,” April said. “Because of Michael.” 

With the certificate in hand, April finally had the documents she needed to get her Florida state ID—except now, she faced another challenge: getting to the DMV. 

Although her husband was usually her ride into town, he was unable to take her because his work hours were outside the DMV’s operating hours. Michael stepped in again, offering to arrange a free ride there and back, but in her rural area, services like Lyft and Uber weren’t available.

By then, it was mid-October, so Michael recommended April vote by mail if she wanted to be sure her ballot would count in the November election. He provided her with information on how to request a vote-by-mail ballot online and let her know that ID was not required—her signature on her ballot envelope would be compared with the one on file. 

“I would love to meet this man and just give him a big hug and say thank you because he’s freaking awesome,” April exclaimed. “I felt like that option [vote-by-mail] was taken away from me before because I was not informed. Florida doesn’t inform the voters. That information should be out there for every American. Not knowing is probably the reason why a lot of Americans don’t vote, because they don’t know they can.”  

With VoteRiders’ help, April made her voice heard in the 2024 general election. And just a few days later, she made it to the DMV to secure her Florida state ID. 

Now, April can begin the new year with reignited confidence. She can open a bank account, earn income, and experience the thrill and pride of voting in person in Florida’s future elections. 

“I truly appreciate VoteRiders,” said April. “I appreciate all the hard work, time, and effort you guys put into our country.” 

If you or someone you know is looking for ID information or assistance, visit our website at VoteRiders.org to learn more about how we can help.