SPLC: Ballot box barriers: Making elections accessible to all eligible voters
BY LAUREN KUNIS, PRESIDENT, CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VOTERIDERS — JANUARY 10, 2025
As the new Congress and administration take hold in Washington, you’ll be hearing a lot about voter ID laws and proof-of-citizenship requirements. For this reason, it’s important for lawmakers, the media and the public to understand how these laws could impact our democracy.
At VoteRiders, we’ve been focused on voter ID laws since 2012. Today, 38 states — more than ever before — have ID laws in place, and 18 states have passed new or stricter voter ID laws since 2020 alone. After years of working on democracy programs in places like Iraq and Syria, I was moved by the aftermath of the 2016 election to focus on protecting voting rights at home. Leading VoteRiders since 2021 has been an honor and a privilege — especially as I think about the democracy my two young children will inherit.
As the country’s leading nonpartisan voting rights organization focused on voter ID, we have a firsthand perspective on how voter ID laws create unnecessary barriers for millions of eligible voters. While proponents claim these laws are necessary, in-person voter fraud is statistically nonexistent. The way to build trust in elections is by making them accessible to all eligible voters — not shutting millions out. Voter ID laws “solve” problems that don’t exist while creating obstacles for millions of eligible voters.
When you register to vote, you affirm your identification and U.S. citizenship under penalty of perjury. Adding more ID requirements at the polls is redundant at best, and deeply harmful for voting access at worst. The impact is pronounced for communities that have historically faced voting barriers — including people of color, elderly voters, students and people with disabilities. For example, our recent research revealed that citizens of color were 3.7 times more likely to be without an up-to-date and unexpired license or state ID card than white adult citizens.
Read the full article at SPLC.
