As LGBTQ+ groups mobilize ahead of Election Day, Wulf Roby knows firsthand that access to the voting booth cannot be taken for granted. Roby, a 39-year-old nonbinary advocate and community leader, says they were routinely refused the ability to vote before having their name legally changed in 2017. When Roby would present their uncorrected Kansas drivers license at the polls, they would be accused of fraud and turned away, occasionally given the option of filling out a provisional ballot. Before getting their corrected ID, Roby says they can only think of one time that I did not have an issue while attempting to cast their vote.It fed into those feelings of isolation and apathy, Roby tells LGBTQ Nation. I felt like not just that my opinions didnt matter but that people like me dont belong here. Why stay somewhere where youre not only very clearly not wanted but where your interests are not represented? Why would you want to keep beating your head on that brick wall? It makes you feel like sh*t.LGBTQ+ organizers are laser-focused this year on making sure that queer voters, particularly those from the most marginalized populations, can overcome the myriad obstacles that may prevent them from participating in democracy.The estimated number of trans people potentially impacted by voter ID laws could actually be larger than the margin of victory. Jody Herman, Senior Scholar of Public Policy, The Williams Institute Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today According to the Williams Institute, a pro-LGBTQ+ think tank at the University of California, Los Angeles, more than 210,000 trans people could potentially be unable to vote because they lack access to the identification necessary to cast a ballot in their state. That could make the difference in a close presidential election: In the 2020 race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, three states Georgia, Arizona, and Wisconsin were decided by less than one percent. The margin in Georgia, which helped Biden secure the White House, was just 11,779 votes.We are in a world where we have very tight elections, so every vote matters a great deal, says Jody Herman, senior scholar of public policy at the Williams Institute. We see in our estimates that the estimated number of trans people potentially impacted by voter ID laws could actually be larger than the margin of victory. Its imperative that people who are eligible to vote are able to do so, and we need to make sure that all eligible voters have the opportunity to vote. Your Vote is a step toward Equality for All Make sure youre ready to vote! Building LGBTQ+ political powerWhat these barriers entail varies widely by state. Currently, at least 36 states have at least some form of voter ID laws in place, and eight of those states have instituted new restrictions since 2020 when Trump made unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud. Per the Williams Institute, 21% of eligible trans voters reside in states with the strictest possible measure in place: the requirement to show a government-issued ID at the polls rather than a piece of mail, utility bill, or other means of identity verification. Many trans people may, unfortunately, struggle to meet the more stringent standard. A 2022 report from the National Center for Trans Equality found that 48% of trans people did not have a single form of ID with their correct name on it, and 59% did not have gender-congruent identification.These discrepancies are among the many reasons that Xavier Persad, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, says advocates are fighting to pass laws protecting the right to vote, particularly among marginalized groups. Updating IDs can be complicated, time-consuming, and expensive, Persad tells LGBTQ Nation. Thats why were working at all levels of government, including in Congress, to pass robust federal protections, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, and the Native American Voting Rights Act. We want to send the message that your voice matters, and your vote matters. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ACLU (@aclu_nationwide)Absent robust protections at the nationwide level, LGBTQ+ advocates are working to ensure that queer Americans have the guidance they need to make sure they are not denied the ability to vote. Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE) recently launched its Transform the Vote website, a resource page informing voters about the voter ID laws in each state and offering guidance about how to correct outdated identification. Also available is a printable, step-by-step checklist for trans voters to ensure voters are fully prepared on Election Day.Devon Ojeda, a senior national organizer for A4TE, says that LGBTQ+ groups are becoming increasingly proactive in engaging the public, whether educating voters about their rights or getting them to the polls. This year, A4TE is part of a coalition of 45 state and national organizations contacting Americans through phone and text banking efforts. In A4TEs first three weeks as part of that effort, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit was able to register an additional 600 voters to create a robust voter database for future elections. The long-term goal, Ojeda says, is to mobilize a voting bloc of trans people and allies to show that far more people support the community than oppose its right to exist.Building trans political power is a critical means of fighting back against the widespread attacks on the LGBTQ+ community by the far right, which have taken center stage during the presidential election. Trumps reelection team, for instance, has reportedly spent $21 million in ads targeting Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent, for supporting trans equality. I barely sleep at night, Ojeda tells LGBTQ Nation. Im really stressed out. It feels like the Trump campaign is doing everything they can to dehumanize us, to portray us as the other. Trump refuses to see us as people. He refuses to see us as Americans. Related Donald Trump is a unique threat to LGBTQ+ Americans. Were endorsing Kamala Harris. Trump will wield the power of the state to oppress transgender people. Harris represents the promise of American multicultural democracy. Turning out the voteWith the election likely to be decided along extremely thin margins, numerous campaigns hope to get as many LGBTQ+ voters to the polls as possible. Among the most prominent is 10 Days of Action, a voter mobilization effort mounted by the Human Rights Campaign in partnership with Out for Harris/Walz, the Democratic tickets LGBTQ+ recruitment arm. The campaign, which lasted from October 11 to 20, targeted queer voters in all seven battleground states likely to decide the 2024 election: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Of the 174 events held in conjunction with the campaign, 10 Days of Action also included efforts in California, Maryland, New York, Ohio, and Texas, where the outcome of critical House and Senate races could decide which party holds a majority in Congress.HRC President Kelley Robinson says 10 Days of Action was intended to reach the 75 million U.S. voters the organization has identified who consistently support LGBTQ+ equality at the ballot box. The campaign coincided, she adds, with a historic ad buy from the Democratic National Committee focused on regional LGBTQ+ news publications in swing states, including Georgia Voice, Philadelphia Gay News, and Out South Florida. Freedom is on the ballot, the advertisement read. Make a plan to vote. HRC, for its part, launched a seven-figure ad campaign highlighting Harris pro-LGBTQ+ record, as well as the existential threat posed by another Trump presidency.Were already in a state of emergency, Robinson says. HRC declared a national state of emergency last year in response to not only the horrific increase of anti-LGBTQ+ bills but also the violence our community is experiencing. One in five of every hate crime is motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ bias. Our trans community, especially Black trans women, continue to experience high levels of mortality. This is a crisis, and if Donald Trump is elected, it will get even worse. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Human Rights Campaign (@humanrightscampaign)Other campaigns are getting creative to reach persuadable voters who might otherwise slip through the cracks on Election Day. Drag Out the Vote launched in 2020 to engage the estimated one in five LGBTQ+ Americans who are not registered to vote, per its executive director, Christopher Diaz. To help reach those voters, Drag Out the Vote throws drag events where people can fill out their voter registration or even cast a ballot. At a recent Las Vegas event, volunteers with the campaign shuttled voters to the polls and then brought them back to enjoy the free food and drag performances. While Drag Out the Vote doesnt have its totals for 2024 yet, Diaz estimates the initiative has reached more than 700,000 voters over the past four years, including 100,000 in Wisconsin and 80,000 in Pennsylvania.Queers for Kamala, meanwhile, is attempting to use Charli XCXs viral endorsement of Harris from July 2024 to fuel a get-out-the-vote effort in support of the vice presidencys candidacy. The campaign takes volunteers on a lime-green Brat Bus mirroring the aesthetic of the musicians zeitgeist-defining album to engage undecided voters in Pennsylvania, where Harris and Trump are separated by less than a point in polling averages tallied by FiveThirtyEight. In its first three trips to the state, volunteers with Queers for Kamala knocked on 15,000 doors, including in Northampton County. In this greater Philadelphia district, voters have aligned with the outcome of all but three presidential elections since 1920.Jeffrey Omura, co-founder of Queers for Kamala, says that hes been inspired to see New York Citys LGBTQ+ community come together for this effort, noting that every queer political club in the city and several gay bars have lent their support to the campaign. I dont know if the queer community has ever organized in this way before, he tells LGBTQ Nation. The queer community tends to be segmented, and one thing that we were trying to do was really bring that community together. This is just the beginning. In coming election cycles, Im really interested to see what the community can accomplish together. Related Campaigning for Kamala Harris is the embodiment of queer joy Memes and good vibes wont win this election. Action will. Looking aheadIf LGBTQ+ advocates are engaging in unprecedented organizing efforts in the 2024 election, its because the stakes have never been higher. Should he be re-elected to the White House, Trump is planning an all-out assault on LGBTQ+ equality, particularly trans rights. According to his campaign website, he intends to implement a federal ban on gender-affirming care for minors, nationwide Dont Say Gay policies in schools, and legislation mandating that the only genders are male and femaleand they are assigned at birth. During his previous four years in office, the Trump administration was responsible for more than 200 attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, including banning trans people from the military and rescinding protections for trans students.Your vote matters so much that they dilute our electoral power by redrawing the districts to take away representation and funding from our communities. Your vote matters that much.Rae Leiner, Field Director, National LGBTQ Task ForceDespite the challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community, organizers say they are optimistic as they look to the future. Rae Leiner, field director for the National LGBTQ Task Force, notes that a fifth of all voters will identify under the queer umbrella by the 2040 election. Although the advocacy group has been engaging in its Queer the Vote campaign for decades, which includes phone banking and educational events, Leiner says the Task Force is deepening its commitment to electoral politics because it understands how big the potential impact stands to be. This is the first year, for example, that the organization has endorsed a presidential candidate since Jimmy Carter in the 1970s. Its also rolling out a legislative scorecard to hold politicians accountable for serving the needs of the LGBTQ+ community.Although restrictive ID laws, gerrymandering, and other efforts at voter suppression are intended to make marginalized people feel as if they dont have a voice, Leiner hopes the intense engagement aimed at LGBTQ+ voters shows the community how much power they do have. When I have conversations with folks in the community, they often think, My vote doesnt matter. It doesnt change anything, they tell LGBTQ Nation. You have to understand that your vote matters so much that they dilute our electoral power by redrawing the districts to take away representation and funding from our communities. Your vote matters that much. Related LGBTQ Nation convened the leaders of the LGBTQ+ movement to debate their vision for equality The most influential leaders in the movement discussed attacks on trans kids, the Supreme Courts threats to our rights, and more. 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