When Moving Means You Need a New ID: Nicole’s Story

 Nicole Karpinski was watching the 2012 presidential debate on television when she decided she’d be a voter for the rest of her life. Now 28 years old, she’s voted in every election since she was 18.

“The candidates were talking about abortion rights,“ Nicole recalled of that pivotal debate. “Something about how they were talking about women’s bodies hit me so strongly. I felt so alien. I was crying watching that. It was such a monumental moment for me. The minute I turned 18, I voted.” 

Now, 12 years later, abortion is on the ballot in the 2024 General Election—but Nicole wasn’t sure she’d be able to vote this time. She lives in Arizona — a voter ID state — and she didn’t have the right ID. 

After Nicole’s grandmother passed away and the house they lived in together in California foreclosed early last year, Nicole packed her bags and left California for the very first time. In the process of moving and consumed by the chaos of it all, she lost her birth certificate. 

Now that she was living in Arizona, Nicole needed an Arizona state ID to apply for state benefits like health care and nutrition assistance. Due to Arizona’s uniquely confusing and restrictive ID rules, she also needed an ID to register to vote in all races on the ballot. But, this wasn’t possible without a birth certificate. Thankfully, Nicole still had her Social Security card, so she ordered a new copy of her birth certificate online. With a limited income, the fee for a new birth certificate copy was “not cheap.” 

Then, it got lost in the mail. 

“They weren’t willing to refund me. I panicked because money was tight and Arizona’s voter registration deadline was close. I also needed an ID to get health insurance, which I had been going without, and I have a bunch of medical conditions.”

With a bit of luck and help from the internet, Nicole found a solution: VoteRiders. 

“I found VoteRiders randomly,” she recalled. “I was on Amber Tamblyn’s Wikipedia page and saw that she supported VoteRiders. And then once I saw you covered ID costs, I was like, ‘Yes, I need that!’ “ 

Unsure of what to expect, Nicole called VoteRiders’ Helpline and hoped for the best. 

“I was completely surprised and blown away by the depth of what was covered and how thought-out every single bit of the process was,” she said. “For example, in Los Angeles County — which is where I was born — they require that you get a notary before you can get your birth certificate. VoteRiders covered the Lyft ride to and from the notary and the fee for the notary itself. Everything was covered. I have epilepsy and I don’t drive, so even just getting down to a notary was a huge deal and something that I didn’t know how I was going to be able to do.” 

After successfully applying for her new birth certificate copy, Nicole still worried it wouldn’t arrive before Arizona’s voter registration deadline. But to her relief, VoteRiders’ Arizona Organizer chose overnight delivery—at no charge. This time, it didn’t get lost. 

With a copy of her birth certificate, Nicole was finally ready to secure her new Arizona state ID—a cost also covered by VoteRiders. 

“I didn’t pay a single fee in the end,” Nicole emphasized. “And that was all because of VoteRiders. I really don’t know if I would have been able to get an ID without that help.”

With her new ID, Nicole immediately applied for state benefits and registered to vote in the 2024 General Election. 

“I’m proud and excited to vote in a swing state. The more voting barriers, the more voter suppression. It’s gross that they make it intentionally difficult to participate…I’m grateful beyond words for VoteRiders’ help. It’s changing my life.”