"It looked like our dreams of voting in this election were dismantling until I came across VoteRiders," Says Georgia Voter

BY Ellene G., GEORGIA VOTER — OCTOBER 29, 2024

My daughter and I had been paying close attention to this particular election. My daughter said, “No more ignoring politics because it’s boring. This election is way too important for that.” Well, indeed, this election is unlike any other and it demands all of our active participation. 

I registered to vote by mail ballot months ago due to health issues and had planned on voting early to avoid the long lines and the possibility of chaotic mayhem. The original plan was to utilize the share ride app and apply their 50% voting discount to the round-trip ride. It wouldn’t have been that expensive to go this route, since there was a ballot drop box at the County Annex Building where I had previously gone to drop off my ballot. This place was literally less than a mile away—I mean literally just right around the corner from the house, so I’d planned on going there again this time. 

After receiving both my and my daughter’s ballots, we began planning our voting day journey, only to learn that all the previously located drop-off ballot boxes in the County were removed except for two. Yes, you read that right—TWO—for the whole county! And of course, these TWO drop-off ballot boxes were much further away from my home. Both of these alternative ballot drop-off box locations would require a more expensive travel experience for me and one that I couldn’t currently afford. 

The way I figured it, I was only left with two choices: I risk my health by canceling my mail ballot and instead attempting to walk to the nearest early voting polling place just to participate in the voting process—or, choosing to not go vote at all.

I also knew that either of those choices also forfeit my daughter’s ability to cast her ballot as well. She was without a current state ID so she couldn’t just cancel the ballot and walk into the early polling place with me, and we couldn’t drop off the ballot as planned because the new location was too far away.

It looked like our dreams of voting in this election were dismantling until I came across VoteRiders.

When I first contacted VoteRiders, I didn’t know what to expect because I already contacted other agencies for the last couple of weeks and was left with no hope. So, when a VoteRiders Volunteer, Mrs. Laura, contacted me, I was a little bit skeptical at first. But then, she explained what VoteRiders could offer and what she was willing to do for me and my daughter to help us both vote. Honey, let me tell you, it all went uphill from there. 

Mrs. Laura went right to work. She not only provided the round-trip Lyft ride for me to go and cast my vote in this election, but she also went above and beyond to pay for my daughter to get her state ID beforehand so that she could also participate in this election.

It was literally the smoothest transportation transaction anyone has ever done for me. Mrs. Laura had another VoteRiders volunteer, Mrs. Cynthia, arrange the trip. She kept me updated throughout the entire process. As vulnerable as we were, we never once felt abandoned, stranded, or unsupported by these two volunteers. 

These volunteers and their other VoteRiders team members are professional, organized, detailed, efficient, and compassionate. It was a smooth process from beginning to end and thanks to them, we always knew exactly what to expect. When I say, those two ladies had our backs—baby, that’s exactly what I mean!

So, if there are any Americans out there who, like me, know how important it is to participate in this election by voting—but have run into unforeseen difficulties, I urge you to please give them a call or text at 866-432-8683 or email at [email protected] before you just give up. They will respond to you quickly. They won’t leave you hanging for days or give you a run-around. And, most importantly, they won’t give a ton of excuses in response to real peoples’ problems. They’ll tell you that they’re going to take care of it—or as they say, “You can take that back to the bank.”

We are so appreciative of VoteRiders. We couldn’t be more grateful.

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