Faces of the SAVE Act • VoteRiders

Faces of the SAVE Act: Voter Stories

The sampling of stories below represents a mere fraction of the tens of thousands of voters that VoteRiders has assisted with obtaining vital documents as part of their journey to get the ID they need to vote.

If the SAVE Act is enacted, these voters and millions more would be unable to register or stay registered to vote without extensive help like that offered by VoteRiders. Without support, they likely would not have been able to overcome the document costs, transportation struggles, and legal hurdles that are often associated with securing proof of citizenship documents.

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VoteRiders Helps Wisconsin Mother After Fire

After a fire destroyed her home, VoteRiders helped Denesha cover the costs of new birth certificates and her driver’s license.

VoteRiders Helps Indiana Voter Reclaim Identity and Secure ID

VoteRiders assisted Jemmie in overcoming a major ID challenge, reclaiming her identity, and successfully navigating the process of obtaining a new state ID.

North Carolina Voter Almost Gives Up Trying to Get ID

Prentiss Thomas lost his ID, jeopardizing his access to treatment and the chance to find work. With VoteRiders’ help, he secured a new ID and started rebuilding his future.

'Grateful Beyond Words,' Arizona Voter Secures ID

After losing her birth certificate, Nicole faced many hurdles. With VoteRiders’ free services, she was able to get the ID she needed to cast a ballot in Arizona.

Unhoused Student Needs ID For Shelter, Employment, and Voting

While unhoused at the University of Arizona College of Nursing, Jarell fought to get the ID he needed to secure housing, become a registered nurse, and vote.

Costly ID Renewal Fee Threatens to Block Wisconsin Voter

Dana needed an updated ID to vote and access housing and government assistance, but the DMV fee was out of reach. Then VoteRiders stepped in.

"In My Lifetime, There Hasn't Been a Greater Time To Vote Than Now" Says Alabama Voter

Edward’s life began to spiral after he lost his job and his Alabama state ID was stolen after someone broke into his car. His situation worsened with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which left Edward ineligible for government aid without proper identification. Edward faced bureaucratic hurdles and repeated rejections for nearly five years during […]

‘I Feel Freerer’ Says North Carolina Voter After Getting ID

Deana Brotherton, a trans woman who became unhoused in North Carolina, struggled to obtain a state ID due to bureaucratic barriers and financial constraints. With the help of VoteRiders, Deana successfully obtained her ID in January 2024, enabling her to access essential services and vote in North Carolina’s upcoming elections. After she successfully secures stable […]

VoteRiders Helps Indiana Voter Track Down 50-Year-Old Documents so She Can Get ID

BY ERIN CARDEN, DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR — MARCH 15, 2024 More women are engaging in our democracy than ever before, but confusing and complicated voter ID laws are threatening to silence the power of their votes. This Women’s History Month, VoteRiders is spotlighting one woman who had to track down multiple decades-old marriage licenses and […]

'I'll Vote to Give My Opinion' Says Ohio Voter After Securing New ID

BY ERIN CARDEN, DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, VOTERIDERS — MARCH 8, 2024 It had been years since fifty-seven-year-old Annette Pereira had an Ohio ID. “I didn’t have all the paperwork I needed to get one,” she explained. To secure identification, Annette first needed a copy of her New York City birth certificate and a Social Security […]

Oklahoma Voter Who Discovered VoteRiders on TikTok Secures ID After Years Without Medical Care

BY ERIN CARDEN, DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, VOTERIDERS — DECEMBER 19, 2023 Without a government-issued ID in Oklahoma, 64-year-old Julie Autaubo had to endure three years without critical medical care for her damaged liver. Despite several attempts to secure her ID, a missing marriage license from 39 years ago made it impossible to safeguard her health […]

"I felt whole once I got my driver’s license again"

BY ERIN C., DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, VOTERIDERS — OCTOBER 18, 2023 In one fell swoop, fifty-one-year-old Fandrea Nazir lost her Social Security card and birth certificate — as well as the birth certificates of her two daughters and two grandchildren — when the folder in which they were stored was mistakenly thrown away by someone at […]

North Carolina Resident Can Finally Secure Housing With New Copy of Birth Certificate

JUNE 22, 2023 Thirty-eight-year-old Shakeena Benton didn’t know what to do. After fleeing an abusive relationship and becoming homeless in Charlotte, North Carolina, she finally found safety at a domestic violence shelter run by Safe Alliance. But without a copy of her birth certificate to put on file, she was unable to apply for low-income […]

‘I Have Everything I Need Now’ Says Georgia Voter

If there is one thing to learn from Denise Ellis, it’s that laughter yoga can help you cope with stressful situations – like being at the DMV. Denise is a sixty-nine-year-old laughter yoga instructor who needed a new driver’s license when she moved to Columbus, Georgia, in 2021. Unfortunately, her experience at the DMV reflects […]

Expired ID leads to job loss and homelessness: Eric’s Story

When Eric’s boss offered him a promotion, he never thought an expired ID would cost him the offer — and his job. But that’s what happened to Eric, a young man who moved to North Carolina and began to build a new life for himself after successfully securing a new job using his then-current New […]

VoteRiders Fights Misinformation and Secures Family's IDs for Voting - and Living

A multiple sclerosis diagnosis, a job loss, an eviction, and a flood that destroyed most of their important documents – these are the calamities that forced Roger and Sandra, their son Evan, (names changed for privacy), and the couple’s younger children out of their southeast coastal Virginia home in 2016. To add to their woes, […]

ID Gives Virginian Access to Housing

As a 70-year-old living on the streets of Virginia, William’s only chance of escaping the relentless rain and bitter cold was to apply for housing assistance. To do that, he first needed an ID. Luckily, William got his ID with help from VoteRiders, but the many obstacles our dedicated and resourceful volunteer overcame to secure […]

“VoteRiders may have saved my life”

Dolly Canning found herself in an almost impossible situation. She needed a current state ID card to get a critical medical test to continue getting her prescription medication. But Dolly’s Florida ID card expired in 2017. And despite four trips to the local DMV office, she couldn’t get one because she didn’t have a vital […]

Voter ID Story: Carlos in Florida

Carlos reached out to VoteRiders when he relocated to Florida after earthquakes destroyed his home in Puerto Rico.

Voter ID Story: Mildred In Virginia

When Mildred reached out to VoteRiders for help, she couldn’t get a job and was worried about becoming homeless because she didn’t have an ID.

Voter ID Story: Patricia In Florida

By Jazlyn Gallego, VoteRiders’ Florida Voter ID Coalition Coordinator By the time I met Patricia White at a voter education forum in New Smyrna Beach, she had been trying to obtain a state ID for 10 months. Since moving to Florida from Pennsylvania, she had been repeatedly turned away from the DMV. Like many married woman, Patricia’s […]

Dennis’ Voter ID Story

Marine veteran Dennis Hatten was initially denied an ID to vote by the Wisconsin DMV office in Milwaukee because his birth certificate had a mistake. It took six months of persistence by VoteRiders’ Wisconsin Statewide Coordinator, Anita Johnson, before Dennis was finally able to vote. Anita met Dennis in September 2015 at the Vet’s Place, […]