Donations spotlight: Support VoteRiders in its work to ensure that all citizens can exercise their right to vote

Note from the CREDO Mobile team: This August, VoteRiders is among three amazing groups that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Funding from the CREDO community will support VoteRiders in its work to help citizens secure their voter ID and ensure that no eligible voter is prevented from casting a ballot due to voter ID laws.

 Read this important blog post about VoteRiders’ critical work, then visit CREDODonations.com and cast your vote to help send funding to the group to assist its efforts—and the efforts of our other outstanding August grantees.

As Americans prepare to head to the polls this November, they’ll face new and stricter voting laws that have been ushered in by an unprecedented wave of legislation since the last presidential election. Voter ID laws have been front and center in this wave, making it harder, more confusing and more costly for people to cast a ballot. 38 states have voter ID laws in place for the 2024 election—more than ever before—and a whopping 18 states have passed new or stricter ID laws since 2020.

VoteRiders is the country’s leading organization focused exclusively on helping citizens overcome the confusing, time-consuming and expensive barriers created by voter ID laws. Since 2012, we’ve helped millions of voters cast a ballot that counts.

We know firsthand the impact that these laws can have—and who they most harm. Voter ID laws particularly impact young voters, communities of color, people with disabilities and low-income individuals. Women who change their name upon marriage or divorce, as well as transgender and nonbinary voters, also face powerful challenges related to voter ID laws. These communities are disproportionately represented among the estimated 34.5 million Americans who don’t have an ID or don’t have one that reflects their current name, address or gender.

Voter confusion around ID laws is also at an all-time high. Our recent research found that over half of voters residing in states with strict photo ID laws aren’t sure what they need to bring to the polls. We also know that confused voters, who are unsure about ID requirements in their state, may stay home even though they have what they need to cast a ballot.

As litigation efforts play out in court and advocacy efforts continue over time, VoteRiders and our allies are in a race against time. Our staff, which consists of more than 1,600 historical partner organizations and over 10,000 volunteers, is working across the country and around the clock to ensure that the millions of voters who don’t have the ID information or documents they need to cast a ballot get everything they need in time for upcoming elections.

Our goals this election cycle are ambitious. We’re committed to a bigger-than-ever outreach campaign that will directly reach at least 10 million voters with ID information and free help before Election Day.

Our voter ID assistance programs provide free help to eligible voters to obtain state-issued IDs and any necessary underlying documents like a birth certificate. We cover all costs along the way and offer free transportation to and from ID-issuing offices. Our staff organizes Voter ID clinics at places like shelters, food banks and community resource fairs, meeting voters where they are. We operate a year-round Voter ID helpline and chatbot and recently established a network of Voter ID assistance hubs, which support local partner organizations to independently offer ID help to the communities they serve.

When we help people secure an ID, we support them to unlock not just their freedom to vote but also to live and thrive. An ID is often the key to employment, housing, healthcare and more.

In parallel, our voter ID education programs help voters understand ID requirements and empower them to cast a ballot with confidence. We distribute millions of state-specific Voter ID information cards and maintain a comprehensive website offering up-to-date voter ID information and tailored guidance. Our staff leads webinars and presentations on voter ID laws, we engage in community outreach and tabling, and we mobilize volunteers year-round to text and write letters to millions of at-risk voters.

With the stakes for this coming election at an all-time high, it’s more urgent than ever that all of us step up now and do all we can. VoteRiders is ready to scale our work even further but we can’t do it without you. As a nimble and highly effective nonprofit organization, we rely on our supporters to help us expand our reach. VoteRiders has gained recognition for its impact and professionalism, achieving the support of major institutions and receiving perfect marks from the nonprofit rating groups: Charity Navigator, Candid (formerly GuideStar) and the Better Business Bureau.

This August, you can vote to tell CREDO Mobile to distribute a portion of its monthly grant to VoteRiders. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that no eligible voter is left behind.

Learn more about VoteRiders at VoteRiders.org or via social media. Follow us @VoteRiders on all platforms.