Republicans Gradually Excluding Transgender Individuals from U.S. Presidential Election Participation
##### Election 2024: The Transgender Voting Barriers in Republican States##### Voter Obstacles in GOP-led States for Trans Individuals**#### By Abby Amoakuh
Updated October 12, 2024 at 3:15 PM
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With the 2024 US presidential election less than a month away, we're shining a spotlight on the hidden challenges faced by trans voters in Republican-led states. As ongoing political battles erode the rights of transgender individuals, these policies could create significant hurdles for voting in one of the most integral elections in American history.
In March, Republican Governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, signed an emergency order, eliminating the ability to use an "X" gender marker on state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards. This decision effectively abolished the 14-year-old option that had benefited trans, nonbinary, and intersex individuals in Arkansas.
Similarly to Sanders' earlier executive order banning gender-neutral terms from state documents, this order is transphobic, assigning worth only to an individual's self-identified gender once they've undergone sufficient medical procedures–a costly and time-consuming process not feasible for all trans people.
Arkansas is far from the only state pursuing such discriminatory policies. At least five states, including Florida, Montana, Texas, and Missouri, have enacted regulations this year that bar trans and nonbinary individuals from updating their gender markers on identification documents.
These stringent policies could create barriers to employment, banking, and housing, say experts. In the immediate term, they could also present troublesome obstacles for trans individuals as they exercise their right to vote in the approaching November elections.
A new estimate from the LGBTQIA+ policy research centre the Williams Institute indicates that 210,800 eligible transgender voters living in states with voter ID requirements do not possess an ID reflecting their correct gender. With 2024 marking one of the most significant elections in U.S. history, these estimates indicate substantial risk, particularly for the 825,100 trans individuals eligible to vote.
Since 2020, Republican-led states have instated stricter voting requirements, and current data reflects that 36 states have voter ID laws. These policies, although marketed as deterrents for potential election fraud with minimal evidence, often deter low-income people, marginalized groups, and trans individuals from participating in the democratic process.
Researchers at the Williams Institute have identified voting challenges for trans individuals in the 36 states with voter ID laws, specifically those in the 33 voter ID states that primarily conduct their elections in person. Policies like these stand to disproportionately impact trans people of color, young adults, students, and those with low incomes or disabilities–among the most vulnerable members of society.
Stay informed on the latest developments for trans voters in the run-up to the 2024 U.S. Presidential election.
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The 2024 US presidential election, less than a month away, has spotlighted challenges faced by trans voters in Republican-led states, where policies could create significant hurdles for voting, as demonstrated by Arkansas' emergency order eliminating the "X" gender marker on state-issued IDs. The Williams Institute estimates that 210,800 eligible transgender voters in ID requirement states lack an ID reflecting their correct gender, posing potential voting obstacles in the upcoming elections.
