The Daily Beans Refried Beans | American ID Crisis (feat. Kat Calvin) | 3/1/2023
Feb 28, 2026
Kat Calvin, voting rights lawyer and founder of Spread the Vote and Project ID, discusses why millions lack government IDs and how that undermines access to services. She covers policy fights over ID laws, barriers faced by people without addresses or incarcerated, and practical campaigns to provide free IDs and change legislation.
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Voter ID Is A Life Essentials Problem
- Spread the Vote Plus Project ID reframed voter ID from an election issue to a broader life-or-death access problem.
- Kat Calvin found IDs are essential for jobs, housing, shelters, food banks, and healthcare, so the organization works year-round on IDs.
Shelby Decision Fueled Rapid Voter ID Expansion
- Voter ID laws expanded rapidly after Shelby County v. Holder removed preclearance, creating a surge from 4 states to 36 with strict ID requirements.
- Kat explains Republican strategists had ready models and enacted them immediately after the decision.
Pursue Policy And Services Together
- Advocate for policy and direct services in parallel to solve ID barriers.
- Kat urged supporting the IDs for an Inclusive Democracy Act while running on-the-ground ID clinics and a Project ID Action Fund.
