“I Voted” stickers await Bonneville County voters for the primary election on May 21, 2024, at the College of Easter Idaho in Idaho Falls. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun)
Ahead of the Nov. 5 general election, Disability Rights Idaho has launched a voter toolkit website called “Determined to Vote.”
The toolkit, available at drivote.org, outlines documents people need to vote in Idaho in the 2024 general election. It provides voting resources such as an easy voter guide, a how-to on voting from facilities or hospitals, resources on protecting and advocating for voting access, and a guide on how to get a free Idaho state identification card to vote.
“Eligible Idaho voters with disabilities may encounter barriers to voting at any stage in the process,” Christine Meeuwsen, an attorney at Disability Rights Idaho, said in a news release last week. “The goal of Determined to Vote is to help eligible voters with disabilities navigate barriers to casting their ballot.”
Disability Rights Idaho says its voter toolkit is mobile-friendly and accessible.
How to get a free Idaho ID card to vote?
Since July 2023, the Idaho Transportation Department has offered free state ID cards to Idaho adults who don’t have a driver’s license to use for voting, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported.
That was part of a voter registration law that the Idaho Legislature passed in 2023.
According to the Idaho Transportation Department’s website, the free ID cards are available at county DMV offices to Idahoans who:
Are at least age 18;
Don’t have a valid driver’s license (but people can surrender their driver’s license to obtain a free ID for voting);
And are U.S. citizens.
People applying can provide ITD proof of their U.S. citizenship, or the DMV may have scanned citizenship records on file, ITD says.
People applying for the ID card must bring proof that they reside in Idaho, such as a lease or rental agreement, utility bill, or records of school enrollment. People applying for the ID card must also bring proof of their age and identity, such as a birth certificate, passport or naturalization documents.
The free ID card for voting cannot be used for driving.
People seeking the free voting ID card must indicate on their application that they need the ID card for voting, ITD says.
To apply for a free ID card for voting, visit your local county DMV office. To find a DMV office near you, visit ITD’s website at itd.idaho.gov/dmvstatus.
If you can’t physically visit a DMV office to apply for a free voting ID card because of a disability, you may be able to request an accommodation by contacting the Idaho Transportation Department by email at civilrights@itd.idaho.gov or phone at 208-334-8884, according to Disability Rights Idaho’s toolkit.
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