My grandmother recently moved to my town in Idaho after decades of living in Washington state. She's never missed voting in a major election, and she was determined to participate in her new state.
In Washington, she effortlessly voted by mail. In Idaho, things aren't so easy. Because she no longer drives, Grandma enlisted me to help her navigate Idaho's voting obstacle course.
First, I took her to the DMV to get an Idaho ID card. In Washington, she would have been registered to vote on the spot. Not here. Idaho is one of only six states exempt from the federal "motor voter" law that requires an option to register people to vote when they apply for or renew their driver's license or ID. (We're exempt because we offer Election Day registration — but so do plenty of motor-voter states.)
But she could just register online, right? Nope. In Washington, she could have by Oct. 31. In Idaho, the deadline was Friday, Oct. 14, and we went to the DMV on Monday, Oct. 17. Rats.
Idaho allows anyone to request an absentee ballot, which is great. If Grandma could have registered online, she would also have voted absentee — which is kind of a big deal for a person in her 80s during COVID, flu and winter-storm season.
But since the "not going extra places in person" ship had sailed, we picked a day to go to the county courthouse for registration and early voting.
It was snow-raining on Oct. 24, but Grandma and I bundled up and headed out to vote. After she pushed her walker up a steep, wet, cracked ramp at the courthouse, things went smoothly. The poll workers were friendly and helpful, making sure she had a comfortable place to sit and answering her questions.
I was happy to take my grandma to vote. But not every grandma has a granddaughter to chauffeur her, and not every granddaughter is a writer with a flexible schedule.
When I first realized my column would publish right before Election Day, I planned to write about all the reasons to vote. But through the saga with Grandma, I realized that no amount of cheering "Voting matters!" can get a person a ride to the polls or good weather or time off work or better ramps or a state that wants to make voting accessible to everyone.
Our story is just one little slice of the giant pie of obstacles that can come between an eligible voter and actually voting.
So instead of another lecture on getting out the vote, what I'll leave you with is a list of things folks with easier access can do to ease the path for our neighbors.
I realized that no amount of cheering "Voting matters!" can get a person a ride to the polls or good weather or time off work.
- In Idaho, if you have a car, offer rides to polling stations.
- If you're an ace at public transit, help someone who isn't find their way to the polls.
- Schedule time to register or vote together with friends.
- Babysit or handle other caregiving duties for someone while they vote.
- If you've got free time, read voter guides and trusted news sources so you can summarize for friends with less time. (Your local League of Women Voters is a great place to start.)
- Same thing with learning about deadlines and regulations so you can guide someone who is stressed, overworked or otherwise less able to dedicate time and attention to complex rules. (Vote.org is a great resource.)
- Offer to help young people learn about voting — especially if they're college students who might face confusion about where they can vote.
- Ask people you care about if they're going to vote. (Research shows peer pressure works!)
- If you're friends with someone who isn't sure about voting, have a kind and gentle conversation about why.
- If you've got a full day to spare, become a poll worker. Well-staffed polling places make voting run more smoothly — and a familiar, trusted face might help someone have faith in the process.
- Advocate for changes that increase access to registration and voting. ♦
Tara Roberts is a writer and educator who lives in Moscow with her husband, sons and poodle. Her novel Wild and Distant Seas is forthcoming from Norton in 2024. Follow her on Twitter @tarabethidaho.
