Voter Stories

Trans Woman Changes Legal Name with Help From VoteRiders

Transgender voters face significant barriers getting to the ballot box to cast a vote that counts. Chanel Riser’s story illustrates the variety of problems the transgender community continues to experience […]

Voter ID Story: Displaced by Hurricane Ian, Mercedes Gets ID and Votes

Mercedes Daniels had given up on voting in Florida’s midterm elections. Even though she’d finally gotten her Florida ID to vote with the help of VoteRiders earlier this year, she […]

TIME.com: Millions of Georgians Have Voted. It Hasn’t Been Easy for Everyone

(TIME Magazine published a feature Nov. 7 with portraits of Georgia voters who have not had an easy time getting to vote this year. This is one of the portrait/profiles.) […]

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 […]

VoteRiders Advocates for Transgender Voters

Before Jey’nce knew about VoteRiders, changing her legal name felt like wishful thinking. But when she found out that her friend and ally — Tracy Pease — would be starting […]

VoteRiders helps returning citizen get ID & rebuild life

Jay is a 40-year-old FedEx driver from North Carolina who loves playing video games, spending time with his stepchildren, and grilling. In 10 months, Jay will have a new house, […]

Dismantling Voting Barriers for Voters with Disabilities

While voter ID laws silence millions of Americans, they hit some communities harder than others. Voters with disabilities are especially affected by voter ID laws because of the challenges they […]

Grandmother & Grandson No Longer "Trapped" Thanks to New ID

2022 has been an extremely difficult year for Rosari Williams, a 54-year-old Floridian who became houseless after losing her mother in January. While Ms. Wiliams received her mother’s inheritance, it […]

High School Graduate Secures First Voter ID

Meet Jovonte! Jovonte is an 18-year-old living in Florida who works at Subway and loves to cut hair. After graduating high school in June, Jovonte needed an ID to get […]

Florida Voter Finally Gets ID Four Years Later

Mac was holding up a sign outside a McDonald’s when VoteRiders’ Florida Voter ID Coalition Coordinator Jazlyn Gallego approached him. Reading his sign and learning that Mac was houseless, Jazlyn […]

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 […]

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 […]

Voter ID Story: Stephen and Mary Beth in Arizona

When Stephen and Mary Beth Wagner moved from Alabama to Chandler, Arizona, in the fall of 2020, they were not able to vote in the presidential election. “We actually haven’t […]

Voter ID Story: Joan in Florida

Turned away at her polling place because of an expired ID in 2020, Joan Scott turned to VoteRiders recently for help getting an ID so she can vote in upcoming […]

Od’Juan Whitfield of Faith in Public Life takes a selfie with Dolly Canning and her new Florida ID card.

Jacksonville woman receives valid ID, can now receive life saving medical treatment

MARCH 25 – JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — See the inspiring follow-up to First Coast Florida’s story about Dorothy Canning, who VoteRiders helped navigate the Florida DMV to get her ID so […]

“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 […]

Voter ID Story: Laura in Georgia

Laura was staying at a women’s shelter in Columbus, Georgia when VoteRiders met her at our inaugural Voter ID Clinic sponsored by Aflac and hosted by Open Door. She needed […]

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: Montrell In Florida

I met Montrell as I was canvassing the streets of Downtown Orlando on a Sunday afternoon with our partner organizations, Bring It Home Florida and Global Shapers. I handed him […]

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 […]

Steven’s Voter ID Story

January 2019 – CENTRAL FLORIDA – Steven is a veteran of the United States Army from Seminole County, Florida. He met our Florida Coordinator, Jazlyn Gallego, at a Goodwill Job Fair. […]

Three IDs, No Vote: Lily’s Voter ID Story

September 2018 – ARIZONA – Lily (not her real name) fled Wyoming after a divorce from an abusive marriage. She moved to Arizona with an expired Wyoming driver’s license. Her birth […]

Students And Voter ID In Florida: Daniel’s Voter ID Story

November 2018 – ORLANDO, FL – See video below! Daniel Molina is a senior at the University of Central Florida. He is an active and enthusiastic voter who recently interned […]

More Than A Voter: Michael’s Voter ID Story

October 2018 – DELAND, FLORIDA – Michael Frank met VoteRiders at a Goodwill Job Connection Center Job Fair. He came ready with a social security card and birth certificate and […]

Adina’s Voter ID Story: Frustration At The Wisconsin DMV

– by Anita Johnson, VoteRiders’ Wisconsin Voter ID Coalition Coordinator Last month I had the opportunity to help a young voter obtain ID to vote in Milwaukee. The case illustrates […]

Valentine’s Gift From My Great-Grandfather

Yvonne Moore shares the story of how her great-grandfather inspired her passion for democracy and voting rights. Yvonne Moore is the Principal Advisor at Moore Philanthropy. We are very grateful […]

Genya's Voter ID Story

Genya (a.k.a @ElectionBabe on Twitter) is an election official in Florida, so how could SHE ever have a problem with voter ID? During a cross-country move in 2013, she lost her driver’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 […]

Debra's Voter ID Story

Debra is a lifelong resident of Madison, WI and a lung cancer survivor. She lives in an apartment complex for low-income people with disabilities. She no longer drives, and had […]

Nefertiti's Voter ID Story

Nefertiti Helem and her partner, Ernest Barksdale, moved to Milwaukee from Chicago in 2013. Until VoteRiders and Citizen Action organizers visited their apartment complex for low-income seniors and people with […]

Steve's Voter ID Story

Steve Pacewicz, a veteran, hasn’t had stable housing in a while. At times, his truck was his home. He needs his vehicle to do the odd jobs that he relies […]

Alfonzo’s Voter ID Story

Shortly after his 18th birthday, Alfonzo went to a voter registration event at his Madison, Wisconsin high school and met VoteRiders’ National Campaign Coordinator. He was looking forward to voting […]

Matt And Jessica’s Voter ID Story

One Wisconsin family’s dilemma over voter ID from VoteRiders on Vimeo. Matt and Jessica Hegdahl moved to Wisconsin from Montana a few months before the Spring 2016 primary election. They registered to vote, but […]