Voter ID is an important voting rights issue. Thing is, it’s often not national news, so it’s not on everyone’s radar. Today, take a moment to make sure you have what you need to vote and then consider helping other folks get their ID so they can vote, too.
Every state has its own requirements for their voters, so any news gets covered more at the local level. For example, just in last week or so we’ve seen news about North Carolina considering a voter ID constitutional amendment, Iowa doing a “soft rollout” of their new voter ID law at their primary on June 5, and Oklahoma’s state Supreme Court ruling on voter ID.
Fighting to keep voter ID laws off the books has to happen at the state level. While we fight those fights, however, we have to recognize that many states already have some kind of ID requirement so it is up to us to make sure our voters have the IDs they need so they can vote in November.
First, Take Care of Yourself
Check to see what the requirements are for your state. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) keeps a list of state-by-state requirements here: Voter Identification Requirements
Voter ID requirements by state as of January 2018, via Ballotpedia
Then, Help Others
Next, consider getting involved in efforts to get other eligible voters their ID so they aren’t turned away on Election Day. You can check with your local Democratic clubs to see if they have programs underway to help citizens get their ID, or you can help one of these terrific national organizations:
Spread the Vote: You can help Spread the Vote both online and on the ground. They also have state chapters in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. You can donate to help their cause, too. In their Resources section, they have great tips on writing an op-ed piece if you’d like to help raise awareness of the issue.
Vote Riders: VoteRiders works with partner organizations across the nation to empower others to help with the cause. Whether you have 5 minutes to spare or several days to help get folks IDs, Vote Riders has 10 Ways You Can Help. Also, be sure to check out their inspiring stories from voters who got their IDs.
Thank you!
⚡
Categories: Uncategorized
Nice work!! Keep it up. We need so much more of your kind of commitment if we’re to turn things around in 2018 and in 2020!!