Thirty-six states have photo ID laws requiring voters to show a valid photo ID at the polls. Florida is one of them.
Ensuring you have the right ID, or even the right paperwork to acquire the right ID can be intimidating. That’s where VoteRiders comes in.
Since 2012, the nonpartisan nonprofit has helped get voters ready for the polls with a network of volunteers across the country.
“We do a lot of problem solving,” said Taylor Ashley Crowe, Florida coordinator for VoteRiders.
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Often people may find themselves in a “doom cycle,” as Crowe puts in, when it comes to getting important documents together.
“Sometimes you have to get an ID to get another ID,” she explained. “Some people need to get a copy of their birth certificate in another state. Some people just don’t know where to go.”
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, as many as 11% of American citizens do not have a government-issued photo ID. The issue is also a matter of equality as marginalized communities are less likely to have a current driver’s license including Black Americans, Latinx Americans, and Americans with low incomes.
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Beyond voting, the service helps people get their documents in order and up to date. Crowe said one woman had been looking for her marriage license for six years. With a VoteRiders volunteer, she was finally able to obtain a copy.
Since 2020, 11 states in the U.S. have implemented stricter voter identification laws. And a majority of Americans support requiring a photo ID to vote, according to a 2022 Gallup poll. And Crowe said there has been an “uptick” in interested volunteers recently.
Florida’s voter ID laws have been in place since 1977. A photo ID has been required in Florida since 1998.
Here’s what you need to know before you head to the polls:
Photo IDs
The following photo ID options are accepted:
- Florida driver’s license
- Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
- United States passport
- Debit or credit card
- Military identification
- Student identification
- Retirement center identification
- Neighborhood association identification
- Public assistance identification
- Veteran Health Identification card issued by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Concealed weapon permit issued in Florida
- Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the Federal Government, the state, a county, or a municipality.
What if my photo ID doesn’t have a signature?
If your ID doesn’t have a signature, you can bring an additional document that does have one.
Can I use a digital copy of my ID?
You are required to have a physical ID to vote in person in Florida.
What if I go to vote in person and don’t have the right identification?
You will have to cast a provisional ballot. You will be given a written notice of rights. You have up until 5 p.m. (local time) on the second day after the election to present further evidence of your eligibility in order for your ballot to count. Your vote will count if your signature on the provisional ballot certificate matches the signature on your voter registration record and you are voting in the correct precinct.
