Lauren Kunis

More Americans voted in the 2020 election than in any other in U.S. history. In the four years since, 18 states have enacted new or stricter voter ID requirements to cast a ballot, warns Lauren Kunis, the executive director and CEO of VoteRiders. “The history of our country is one of expanding access to the ballot box over time,” says Kunis. “Sadly we are seeing the reversal of that trend right now on the voter ID front in particular.”

VoteRiders is a non-partisan organization dedicated to ensuring that every eligible voter can navigate such regulations and access the ballot box. The group has its work cut out for it in 2024, as an unprecedented 38 states now have voter ID laws in place. Republican-led states, in particular, have adopted increasingly stringent regulations as lawmakers have argued, with little evidence, that voter fraud is a widespread problem.

Nearly 50 million Americans do not have an active ID that reflects their current name and address. For those living in states with stringent voter ID laws, the result is a confusing patchwork of regulations that can leave even the most determined voter at a loss. “We're in a place of really unprecedented challenge when it comes to voting rights and voting access,” says Kunis, who has led the organization since 2021. 

VoteRiders has become a key player in addressing this growing challenge. Since its inception in 2012, the nonprofit has dedicated itself to combating the adverse effects of voter ID laws, providing assistance to voters who might otherwise be disenfranchised. Their efforts include offering free support to obtain necessary identification, as well as covering the related costs and even assisting with transportation to ID-issuing offices.

With a network of nearly 2,000 partner organizations and 10,000 volunteers, VoteRiders says it has reached over 4.2 million voters this year through a mix of text banking, phone calls and letters, and its voting rights education programs. By November, Kunis says the organization is hoping to reach 10 million voters with ID information and free assistance.

A recent survey conducted by VoteRiders found that young people and Black and Hispanic voters are significantly more likely to lack an ID that reflects their current information. The survey also found that many Americans are confused about their state’s ID requirements; over half of those living in states with strict ID laws do not know what is required to cast a ballot. “Voter ID laws harm already underrepresented communities, and they further exacerbate an electorate that is not representative,” Kunis says. Fixing that imbalance, she says, is critical to America becoming “a truly representative democracy.”