User:Jet J. Do/Transgender disenfranchisement in the United States

As of August 2023, 21 states have banned gender affirming care for minors and 7 states are considering implementing such a ban. Transgender voters who must wait until the age of 18 to receive gender affirming care face barriers in changing their gender on birth certificates and driver’s licenses in time for an upcoming election. The process of changing one’s name and gender on government issued IDs varies by state, but can take up to 2 months in California. Election officials may invalidate these forms of IDs if they do not reflect an individual’s current gender, creating further obstacles. Therefore, transgender voters who live in states that ban gender affirming care for youth, require sexual reassignment surgery or a court order to update government issued IDs, and require a government issued ID in the voting process impose a clear burden and lengthy process on their ability to vote.

People who are transgender are disproportionately affected by homelessness and poverty. A 2015 survey estimated that 30% of transgender individuals have or are currently experiencing homelessness. People experiencing homelessness may face difficulties in voting, such as the ability to show proof of residency for an extended duration during the voter registration process. The 2015 U.S. transgender survey also found that 1 in 3 transgender individuals live in poverty, compared to 11.6% of the total population. Individuals living in poverty report higher rates of inadequate access to transportation, which may make it more difficult for these individuals to reach polling stations. Higher rates of homelessness and poverty categorize transgender individuals into groups already experiencing greater difficulties in the voting process.