Cost of Freedom Project

The Cost of Freedom Project is a citizen-led initiative that has developed location-based apps to provide voters with information on how to obtain a voter ID. In five states – Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Pennsylvania and Tennessee – voters must present an acceptable form of photo ID in order to vote. (South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin are blocked from implementing their voter ID law. New Hampshire and Virginia are on hold pending clearance by the U.S. Department of Justice.) A study by the Brennan Center for Justice found that 11 percent of voting-age citizens lack an official photo ID, including 25 percent of African Americans, 19 percent of Latinos and 18 percent of young people between the ages of 18 and 24. Restrictive photo ID requirements also make it harder for women to vote. The Brennan Center estimates that 32 million women do not have a valid government-issued photo ID with their current name. The Cost of Freedom App provides information on photo ID requirements for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The app takes the guesswork out of an application process that’s disenfranchising by design. Users simply have to enter their zip code to find out their state’s photo ID requirements and how to get a certified copy of their birth certificate. Users can download a checklist to remind them what documents they need to take with them when they go to apply for a voter ID. If voters have questions, they can call the Election Protection Hotline, 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

The Cost of Freedom App is a one-stop site for up-to-the-minute voter ID information. Right now, voting rights advocates are scrambling to keep up with the constantly changing rules. At the same time, community groups, civil rights organizations, churches, etc., reinvent the wheel every time they assist a voter. With the Cost of Freedom App, advocates and activists can focus their limited time and resources on identifying voters who do not have a photo ID and motivating them to complete the application process. About the Cost of Freedom Project Spearheaded by Faye Anderson, the Cost of Freedom Project is a member of the Election Protection Coalition and the Pennsylvania Voter ID Coalition. The project stems from the Random Hacks of Kindness hackathon at Drexel University. Black Youth Vote, a signature program of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, has partnered with the Cost of Freedom Project to promote the app through its website, social media and traditional voter education materials. For more information, please visit Facebook.com/CostofFreedom.