Trans people are more likely to vote than cis people despite barriers to voting

According to Advocates for Trans Equality’s 2022 US Trans Survey, trans people are more likely to vote compared to the general American population.

“The findings in this report really underscore that trans votes count,” said Dr. Ankit Rastogi, Director of Research at Advocates for Trans Equality, in a statement. “Yet we have to jump through hurdles to vote. Trans people deserve to participate fully in our democracy, and that means removing barriers to give us equal access to the ballot and make sure we are treated with respect at the polls.”

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82% of voting-age respondents were eligible to vote, compared to 73% of the general American population. Additionally, 75% of voting-age respondents voted in the 2020 presidential election, whereas only 67% of the general population did.

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However, while trans people are more likely to vote and to be registered to vote, they’re also more likely to face difficulties and barriers in the process. 11% of respondents didn’t meet registration deadlines, and 10% had no clue on how to even register. 5% did not have an ID, 3% had a name that didn’t match their license or Social Security card, 2% were worried about being harassed by officials, and 1% said they were affected by their state’s voter identification laws.

These difficulties come in light of growing efforts to legally remove recognition of trans people. Florida, Tennessee, and Kansas all have banned trans people from changing the gender markers on their IDs, and many other states put barriers in place such as requiring a doctor’s notes and surgeries.

Other reasons respondents weren’t registered include not being interested in electoral politics (24%) and believing their vote wouldn’t matter (19%).

According to the survey, “the top [electoral] priorities were: violence against transgender people (46%), racial justice (38%), coverage for trans-related health care (34%), poverty/income (28%), housing and homelessness (27%), youth access to trans-related health care (23%), lack of health providers who know how to serve transgender people (13%), discrimination by health providers (11%), changing name and gender on identity documents and records (11%), and employment (10%).”

The survey was conducted online in late 2022, covering both English and Spanish speakers aged 16 or above. The findings are weighted for the sample size of relevant participants. The methodology emphasizes that this sample does have some biases that might make it not entirely applicable to the entire American transgender population at large.

Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, Executive Director of Advocates for Trans Equality, said in a statement, “When it comes to elections, the trans community is powerful, and we persevere to make our voices heard and our votes count. Let’s keep showing up, keep telling our stories, and keep advocating for trans equality. Together, we can safeguard and improve the lives of trans folks across the country.”

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