Like millions of Americans, I live in a voter suppression state. Tennessee Republicans have erected one barrier after another to prevent frontline, progressive, and Democratic communities from voting. And this month, I became one of the people they silenced.
Tennessee has specific and narrow laws around voter identification. Normally, I use my passport to vote. Currently, my passport was being renewed, so I set out to figure out what other types of ID would work for our Aug. 4 primary. I have a lot of IDs—from a valid out of state driver’s license with my Tennessee address on it, to a valid carry permit (no picture) and utility bills with my local address listed; I also have my birth certificate and the card from the county elections office saying I’m registered to vote and more. Yet not one of them individually or combined met my state’s threshold for voting—and in the end, I didn't have enough time to get identification that did. I cast a provisional ballot (that’s a story for another time, my goodness). I also took my case to the county elections office, where, a very nice person regretfully informed me that, despite my best efforts, my vote was unlikely to count in this election.
From volunteer to campaign manager to poll worker, I've held a number of electoral roles. Unlike many voters, I know where to find information, who to talk to when problems arise, and am able to take time off from work to fight for my right to vote. I've even worked with Tennessee organizations to stop Republicans from enacting even more voter ID laws to prevent this very scenario from happening. All of this is to say: If my vote can be suppressed, then anyone's vote can be suppressed.
Elections in battleground states will come down razor-thin margins. Every single vote makes a difference, every single vote is critical. As elections loom, most voters are not thinking about whether they have the correct ID, if their polling location has changed, or how they will make time to vote. That's where civic engagement organizations can make a huge difference.
This is one of the many reasons Daily Kos built our GOTV slate fundraising program. While my home state is deeply red, plenty of states are not. We’re partnering with nearly 70 progressive organizations in eight such battleground states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Texas. They’re doing the often invisible work of ensuring other voters don't experience what I experienced, by helping to reduce barriers and cancel out Republicans’ voter suppression.
Some of our partner organizations are well-known power players—like New Georgia Project and LUCHA in Arizona. Others, like Radical Registrars in Texas, and Wisconsin's Hmong American Women's Association, work in specific areas, and with hard to reach communities. But their programs don't begin and end with voter registration. They also build relationships with community members and continue to reach out with education, information, and support.
As trusted groups, they are able to protect our voters and defend their right to vote—from registration to casting a ballot to ensuring it's counted.
In 2020, groups like these made the difference in securing not just Joe Biden's win, but also Democratic control of Congress, ballot measures, and key judicial, statewide, and legislative seats. These organizations have proven track records, and a deep rapport with frontline and progressive communities. Help ensure these fighters have the resources needed to overcome Republican voter suppression by donating $10—or whatever is meaningful to you—today.