Meet the Pro Bono Partners Helping Voters Get the ID They Need

This week is the American Bar Association’s 2026 National Celebration of Pro Bono, an annual campaign that brings together participating legal organizations, draws attention to the crucial practice of pro bono, and celebrates the attorneys and legal staff who volunteer their time to make legal services and assistance available to more people and causes.

The theme of this year’s National Celebration of Pro Bono is “Serving Justice. Strengthening Democracy.” This sits at the heart of VoteRiders’ mission to ensure eligible voters are not blocked from exercising their fundamental right to vote because of voter ID laws. 

Law Firm Partners Advance Voting Rights

This year, VoteRiders has served more voters than ever before thanks to support from more than 10 law firms and legal advocacy organizations. Their work is broad-ranging and deeply impactful. Some of our partnering firms include: 

• Akin Gump attorneys conducted complex research on what ID rules apply in states where early voters are given mail-in ballots instead of traditional Election Day ballots. The research helped voters understand and prepare for any complications that could arise from using different types of ballots.
• Alston & Bird attorneys worked directly with voters who needed pro bono legal support to obtain or update their ID or birth certificate.
• Fenwick & West attorneys researched how and where tribal IDs may be used to vote.
• Goodwin Proctor, Ropes & Gray, and Willkie Farr & Gallagher all helped submit public records requests that allowed VoteRiders to text, write, or call voters at risk of not having the ID they need to vote. 

All of our partnering firms have done invaluable work for people who would otherwise be unable to vote or access their vital personal documents. VoteRiders is grateful to each and every one.

Analyzing Changing State Voter ID Laws with Lawyers for Good Government

VoteRiders also began a very successful partnership with Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG), a coalition of more than 100 law firms and legal organizations with a mission to ensure equal justice at all levels of government. L4GG has helped VoteRiders recruit for and manage vital research projects analyzing: 

• How eligible voters can cast a ballot if they or a loved one are hospitalized on or before Election Day 
• Which states accept mobile IDs as an accepted form of voter ID
• How voters in each state can cure errors on their mail ballot or cure a provisional ballot cast due to a lack of ID.

In an environment where election laws are constantly changing, this research ensures that VoteRiders staff and volunteers can provide accurate information to voters seeking assistance through our helpline and educational materials.

Expanding Volunteer Reach & Providing General Counsel Support

VoteRiders also appreciates the partnership of We The Action (WTA), a non-profit organization that unites lawyers with nonprofits to expand access to justice. WTA helped amplify VoteRiders’ legal pro bono opportunities. Leading up to Election Day, WTA featured VoteRiders in its Democracy Legal Defense Network, including highlighting our opportunities to help voters update their name or birth certificate and contact eligible voters in key states to make sure they know what kind of ID they need to vote. 

Our list of thank-yous would be incomplete without sincere gratitude to our longtime partner, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, which was awarded our 2025 Pro Bono Partner of the Year honor. They generously enable partner Marc Bauer to support VoteRiders on a pro bono basis as our Outside General Counsel, and have regularly hosted VoteRiders meetings and events in their offices across the country as part of our longstanding partnership.

Stories of Pro Bono Impact

Pro bono attorneys also helped individual voters overcome barriers to obtain their IDs, often untangling problems that had followed people for decades.

Older Americans, for example, may need birth records created or filed generations ago, long before today’s systems existed. With help from a pro bono attorney, Carolyn, a retired elementary school teacher, finally received an accurate birth certificate after the original was left behind more than 70 years ago. With the new ID, she was able to apply for a utility subsidy for people on fixed income.

As another example, voters whose names have changed over the course of their lives can find that their records no longer match, leaving them caught between agencies. Another pro bono attorney helped Frank, a voter whose surname changed several times as a child, work through complicated state processes to get a copy of his birth certificate.

Looking Ahead: Take Action with VoteRiders

As we enter the final stretch before the 2026 Midterm Elections, VoteRiders is deeply grateful for all the attorneys and legal staff who have donated their time, energy, and careful attention to these projects. The work will continue after Election Day because at VoteRiders, there are no “off-years.” Year-round, VoteRiders and our pro bono partners are here to ensure eligible voters have the ID and information they need to make their voice heard at the ballot box.

To that end, we welcome new legal partnerships as we continue this vital work. Please review this one-pager for further information, and contact the VoteRiders Legal Team at [email protected] to join the team.