Transgender Americans face several obstacles when voting

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This story was reported in partnership with Unclosed mediaa nonpartisan, investigative, LGBTQ-focused news publication.

Lori Moss, a trans woman from Milwaukee, is fed up with the “nightmare” bureaucratic process that trans people have to go through to make sure they can vote. “It’s like an endless pile of pain,” she told Uncloseted Media/Votebeat.

After a six-month process that involved filing new documents, getting a judge’s approval and publishing her new name in a classified newspaper ad, Moss learned that under wisconsin law, the gender marker on her ID still can’t be changed until she can provide proof that she’s had vaginoplasty surgery — an expensive, painful and time-consuming task that some trans people don’t even want . Her new ID arrived in the mail this week, listing her name but labeling her gender as “M.”

A recent one study found that transgender and gender diverse people experience more problems than cisgender people when trying to vote. According to another study by the Williams Institute, more than 800,000 transgender adults are eligible to vote in the 2024 election. But about a quarter of those people don’t have ID that matches their correct name or gender and live in states with voter ID laws. This can make it difficult for them to vote.

Wisconsin is one of those states. There, the law ask that all voters must “reasonably resemble” their photo ID—a barrier to any voter, including physically transitioning trans people whose appearance has changed substantially since obtaining their ID.

“That could put it in the hands of the election worker to decide when someone is and is not eligible,” Rachel Orey, director of the Election Project at the bipartisan Policy Center and who identifies as trans, told Uncloseted Media/Votebeat. . “We know this is not something poll workers are typically trained on. We’re lucky if they get any kind of sensitivity training.”

Moss’s worries — and those of others in the same position — are amplified this election season, as Republicans have spent more than $65 million on anti-trans advertising, including over 19 million dollars only through the Trump campaign. Almost 70% of transgender voters identify as Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents, and many feel their lives are on the line in this election, increasing the pressure they feel to vote in future elections.

Dealing with bureaucracy, legislation and the threat of violence

Moss went through the arduous process of updating her ID in part so she wouldn’t face the kinds of problems she’s had with voting in the last three elections. For example, when he voted in 2020, he had to bring two backup documents to verify his identity because the name on the ID did not match the name on the electoral roll.

“The problem is you have a bunch of well-meaning people who say, ‘Well, your ID said this and you’re not that,’ or ‘Something seems a little ‘off,'” she said. “It’s a lose-lose because the more I show (with myself) and the happier I am with myself, the more crap I have to deal with every time someone sees my identity.”

Elly, who prefers to use her first name only for safety reasons, said seeing her dead name on her Texas ID made it difficult for her to present it in any situation where it was needed. “There were several years when I didn’t have a primary care doctor, I didn’t go to appointments, I didn’t get new glasses. It was bank issues and stuff like that that I was just putting aside because I didn’t have the energy to deal with my dead name and this wrong gender trigger,” she told Uncloseted Media/Votebeat.

While Elly eventually changed her name on her ID before the Texas Attorney General made it impossible for her to do so August 2024she believes many trans people will skip the vote to avoid the intense dysphoria she experienced for so long. “Having to deal with that is certainly a reason why some would say, ‘I don’t want to spiral for the rest of the day for the sake of this kind of nebulous movement of the needle over an infinitesimal distance in the direction that I- I would like to do it.” move him in,’” she said.

While paperwork and documents are obstacles in themselves, trans voters also weigh their safety when determining whether to vote: rates of anti-trans violence are on the rise and over 500 anti-trans bills are being considered by state legislators. “The civil liberties given to normal people don’t seem to matter when it comes to me,” said Moss, who has taken to carrying a knife for protection.

Dahron Johnson, a trans woman who serves as co-chair of the Tennessee Equality Project’s Davidson County Committee, isn’t surprised by the fear some trans people feel when they go to the polls. “In states where it has been made clear that our lives are not valued, then how can you not be scared?” she said.

Johnson’s work with the Tennessee Equality Bill is aimed at legislative challenge 40 anti-LGBTQ bills currently circulating through her state legislature. “The purpose of trying to get out in front of the problems is to be able to live a normal day-to-day life where we can go to the grocery store, where we can go to the library, where we can go to the polling station and not have to scan the parking lot for license plates “Don’t Tread on Me” license plates are in parking lots because we evaluate every space we enter for safety.”

As the Republicans put it increased emphasis regarding the integrity of the vote and the recruitment of electoral observers – who are appointed and trained by the parties to observe the voting process – polling stations have become increasingly tense.

In 2022, unofficial poll observers started showing up at the polls armed, masked and wearing tactical gear. This has caused concern nationally, but is heightened for trans voters. Data from the Bipartisan Policy Center shows that nearly 70 percent of trans voters are concerned about the presence of guns, violence and intimidation at the polls — nearly 1.5 times more than the general public.

“That concern is valid,” Orey said. “Trans groups are routinely the subject of threats, harassment and intimidation – both in the public and private spheres. When coupled with a tense atmosphere and increased scrutiny surrounding all aspects of the election, it makes sense that trans voters feel more at risk when voting in person.

What can trans voters do in the face of obstacles?

It’s important to remember, Orey said, that voter intimidation is a federal crime, and affected voters should notify polling place officials and contact the Election Protect Hotline if harassment or intimidation occurs.

That’s not always enough to make trans voters feel comfortable at the polls. Maleeka Maupin, a 27-year-old Shelbyville, Tenn., trans woman and intersex woman, said the city’s deeply conservative bent can make all aspects of life, including voting, difficult.

The town of 25,000 people, which voted about 75% for Trump in the last one two choicesdid not always make Maupin feel welcome at the polls. She said people made derogatory comments to her in previous elections when they were queuing to vote in the city’s main square. In 2016, as he stood in line to vote, another voter muttered, “We know who he’s going to vote for.”

But Maupin isn’t letting it get to her and said she won’t be afraid to vote. “I don’t let anyone or anything stand in my way,” she said. Others aren’t as bold — several trans people told Uncloseted Media/Votebeat they had low confidence their ballots would be counted, and others said they went out of their way to avoid being noticed.

Kaylie Lester, a trans woman who lives in Orlando, Florida, said she intentionally registered as a Republican even though she always votes blue. Stories of chaotic polling stations, armed polling clocks and voter intimidation scared her. “I try to be with the crowd, and around here that crowd is mostly Republican,” she told Uncloseted Media/Votebeat.

Orey, who uses her first name, recommends special steps for trans voters who are concerned about their safety: like checking your voter registration status and the name you’re registered under before you go to the polls to make sure you bring your mail. identification and voting in the middle of the day to avoid large crowds and give you a better chance to have more time to interact directly with a poll worker.

Orey also recommends bringing multiple forms of identification and having a little empathy for poll workers.

“The people they will interact with at the polling station have worked long hours. They are tired, they are overwhelmed. They probably also had people verbally harassing them all day,” Orey said. “So coming up with a more conciliatory approach may be in their favor. I think anticipating the conflict can kind of lower the risk because those people will already be on their toes.”

For her part, Moss followed these recommendations and voted without a problem: she chose to vote early, brought several forms of identification, and voted toward the end of the day. While she wishes the system — which she said is “full of red tape” — was easier for trans voters to navigate, she’s glad she took the time to update her name and photo on her ID on who used it to vote. For her, it was another step toward “feeling more and liking myself more.”

Additional reporting by Sam Donndelinger and Hope Pisoni.