An estimated 825,100 transgender adult citizens in the U.S. will be eligible to vote in the November 2024 general election, according to a new report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Approximately 210,800 could have problems voting at the polls because they do not have an ID that lists their correct name and/or gender. Approximately 91,300 of these transgender adults reside in states with the strictest forms of voter ID laws and could potentially be disenfranchised.
In the United States, 36 states have voter ID laws. Among these, 33 primarily conduct their elections in person at polling stations. Voter ID laws require voters to provide additional verification at the polls beyond federal voter registration and eligibility determination standards. The strictest laws require voters to present a government-issued photo ID at the polling place and do not offer an alternative for voters who do not have a photo ID or have an inaccurate photo ID, as is often the case for transgender people.
Transgender voters may need to update their IDs with their correct name, photo, and gender marker when they begin living according to their gender identity. If not prohibited, this process can be costly, time-consuming, and challenging because the laws regarding gender marker changes vary significantly across states and federal agencies.
Transgender people who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color, young adults, students, living with low incomes, experiencing homelessness, or living with disabilities are more likely not to have accurate IDs for voting.
“Voter ID laws can create a unique barrier to voting for a substantial number of transgender people, which is particularly impactful in elections decided by a small number of votes,” said co-author Jody L. Herman, Senior Scholar of Public Policy at the Williams Institute. “States can improve voting access for transgender individuals by revising voter ID laws, simplifying and making the process of obtaining accurate IDs more affordable, providing training for poll workers, and reducing overall barriers to voting.”
According to FiveThirtyEight, 27 states have adopted new voting restrictions since the 2020 presidential election.