By Shelly Bromberg
When Laura contacted VoteRiders’ National Helpline on Saturday, March 29th, she imagined it would be unlikely that she would be able to vote in Wisconsin’s high-stakes election on April 1st because she didn’t have a Wisconsin state photo ID. Still, she wanted to start the process of getting one so that she would, at the very least, be able to cast her ballot in Wisconsin’s future elections.
It had been years since Laura had voted. When Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle in 2018, she lost everything, including her birth certificate. Within a couple of months after that, her Florida driver’s license expired, and she had no way to renew it without a birth certificate.
“Then, life got in the way,” Laura said.
She was busy helping others through her “Port Pillow Project,” an initiative she started seven years ago to sew and distribute what has grown to over 30,000 Port Pillows — pillows that patients receiving chemotherapy can use to provide a cushion between their portacath and seatbelt while driving.
Seven years later, in late March 2025, after Laura saw several informational billboards about VoteRiders’ free ID services at local bus stops, she realized she had to take action to obtain her ID so she could, once again, vote. She was born in upstate New York, and her experience taught her that getting her birth certificate would be a long process. Currently, the typical processing time for a copy of a birth certificate is six to seven months.
That weekend, Laura called VoteRiders’ free Helpline (866-432-8683) and spoke to a trained volunteer. The volunteer assured her that VoteRiders would be happy to help her obtain a new copy of her birth certificate and Wisconsin state ID. The very next day, another volunteer emailed her to let her know she could expect a call at 9:00 a.m. on Monday to initiate the process.
That Monday morning, Laura learned about Wisconsin’s special provision allowing residents to register and vote without an ID. Known as the ID Petition Process (IDPP), Wisconsin voters can use alternative forms of identification to request a free ID to vote. Now, this was doable! Thanks to VoteRiders’ Voter ID Assistance Coordinator, Ailey, and the VoteRiders ID Assistance Team, Laura was able to take a free Lyft to her local Department of Transportation (DOT) Office equipped with the completed necessary paperwork and two forms of identification, including mail with her name and address on it from her state insurance company, and her expired Florida driver’s license.
As Laura walked into the Wisconsin DOT Office, the clerk asked what she needed. As requested, she presented her two forms of identification and stated, “I’m here for an IDPP for voting.”
At first, the clerk insisted she would need her birth certificate. When she explained that she had applied for a new copy and was waiting to receive it, he shook his head and told her she would not be able to apply for a free voter ID card. But Laura had just spoken with Ailey, so she knew that what the clerk was saying was wrong. She stood her ground and, once again, handed him her proof of identification and completed the necessary paperwork. He grumbled, took her photograph, and printed it out along with a sample of what her provisional ID would look like—but not the actual ID.
Laura left the DOT Office a bit shaken. She was told that the DOT would mail her provisional ID overnight if necessary, but she was unsure what would happen next. Ailey stepped in again and called Laura to inform her that even if her provisional ID didn’t arrive in time for Election Day in Wisconsin, she could still vote with a provisional ballot and cure it by confirming her identity with her provisional ID once it arrived in the mail.
The next morning, on Election Day, as Laura was heading to her polling place just a mile away, she looked in her mailbox. There it was—her provisional ID had arrived just in time! Laura voted, and she was thrilled! Even with a lifetime of awards and recognition for her community work, Laura still considers her voting stickers among her most prized possessions.
Today, VoteRiders’ Voter ID Assistance team is continuing to help Laura secure a new birth certificate copy. Thus far, the process has required us to track down a previous marriage license since Wisconsin requires proof of name change for anyone whose last name differs from the one on their birth certificate. While it may take a few months, the goal is to get Laura’s Wisconsin State ID in time to vote in Wisconsin’s next election. In addition to voting, Laura also plans to help register Wisconsin voters.
“While I was voting at my polling place,” she said, “I realized that once I get my ID, I want to help register people to vote. I cannot wait.”
If you or someone you know needs ID information or assistance, call or text our helpline at 866-432-8643 or visit VoteRiders.org/help to learn more about how we can help.
Shelly Bromberg is a VoteRiders Voter ID Assistance Volunteer.
April 18, 2025.
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