{"id":16281,"date":"2023-06-28T18:45:55","date_gmt":"2023-06-28T18:45:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/?p=16281"},"modified":"2023-06-28T19:29:13","modified_gmt":"2023-06-28T19:29:13","slug":"voter-id-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.voteriders.org\/voter-id-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Halfway through 2023, Voter ID Laws Are on the Rise. Here\u2019s How VoteRiders Is Protecting Our Democracy."},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ceridwen Cherry<\/a>, VoteRiders Legal Director \u2014 <\/b>June 28, 2023<\/b><\/p>\n

As VoteRiders\u2019 new Legal Director<\/span><\/a>, I\u2019m tasked with monitoring changes to <\/span>voter ID laws in states <\/span><\/a>around the country so that we can provide continuously updated and accurate information to voters and our thousands of partner organizations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the bad news: I\u2019ve been really busy lately! Since 2020 and especially in 2023 so far, states have passed new or stricter voter ID laws<\/a> at unprecedented rates. <\/span><\/p>\n

These laws could prevent millions of eligible voters from casting their ballots and making their voices heard in elections this year and beyond.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This month marks the ten-year anniversary of the Supreme Court\u2019s decision in <\/span>Shelby County v. Holder<\/span><\/i>. Before <\/span>Shelby, <\/span><\/i>nine mostly-Southern states had to notify the U.S. Department of Justice if they planned to make any changes to their voting laws because of their prior history of racial discrimination (\u201cpre-clearance\u201d).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2013, the <\/span>Shelby <\/span><\/i>ruling <\/span>struck down the pre-clearance protections previously afforded by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. As a result, <\/span>states became able to change voting laws and policies without the pre-clearance that was previously required.<\/span> We saw the immediate consequences of this ruling when, in the lead up to and immediate aftermath of the <\/span>Shelby<\/span><\/i> decision, five states previously covered by Section 5 enacted strict voter ID laws.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the decade since Shelby<\/i>, I\u2019ve dedicated my career to challenging restrictive voting laws because I believe our democracy is strongest when everyone can have a say in the decisions that impact and shape their future. <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I have <\/span>extensive experience litigating voting rights cases throughout the country, including challenges to voter identification and voter registration requirements. During this time,<\/span> I\u2019ve seen voting restrictions of all types proliferate, especially the expansion and tightening of voter ID laws.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

VoteRiders was founded in 2012<\/a>, just before <\/span>Shelby. <\/span><\/i>In the 11+ years since our founding, the need for our work has grown enormously. <\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, today in 2023, 52 million more<\/i> Americans live in a state with a voter ID law than in 2012. These complicated laws disenfranchise millions of voters who lack ID and deter even more voters from participating in elections due to confusion.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"2012<\/span><\/p>\n

\"2023<\/p>\n

I started this post with some bad news, but here\u2019s the good news: I\u2019m excited to be part of the quickly-growing team at VoteRiders<\/a> that is dedicated to helping voters cast a ballot despite the rising tide of voter ID laws.<\/p>\n

In my first months with the organization, I\u2019ve seen how we\u2019re poised to make a real difference at a time when our work is more important than ever.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

An estimated 25 million voting-age Americans do not have a current government-issued photo ID<\/a>. Voter ID laws disproportionately impact communities<\/a> that are already underrepresented in our electorate: people of color, young adults<\/a>, voters with disabilities, older Americans who no longer drive, unhoused individuals, returning citizens<\/a>, low-income Americans, and voters such as married women or transgender individuals<\/a> who change their names.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The first months of 2023 were no exception to this pattern of increasing voter ID laws. <\/span>In the first seven months of this year alone, new or stricter voter ID laws were adopted or went into effect in eight states:<\/strong><\/p>\n