© 2026 ABC News

Damaris Torres is one person who will be receiving a Florida driver’s license soon, thanks to help from Spread the Vote.

Torres, originally from Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, left the island on Nov. 15 with her two daughters, one of whom was pregnant, as well as her 3-year-old granddaughter. They lived in a hotel in Orlando before the family was able to transfer their Section 8 housing status from the island to the mainland.

“We decided to come because I am diabetic and it was becoming very difficult with the insulin and all the medicine,” Torres said in Spanish.

Torres said that voting in November’s election is important because it ensures the well-being of her daughters and grandchildren.

“To get off the plane and to see how the island is doing was very depressing” Torres said about visiting the island after the hurricane, adding that thinking of her son who still lives in their old home on the south part of the island with limited power is what causes her the most pain.

\"PHOTO:
Charles Ommanney/The Washington Post via Getty Images, FILE
PHOTO: A scene inside the Melao Bakery restaurant on July 25, 2015 in Kissimmee, Fla. The bakery is a gathering place for the local Puerto Rican community in Kissimmee.
>

Spread The Vote pays for and assists people who need to get updated birth certificates, notarized letters and other documents to and from Puerto Rico to ultimately get a driver’s license. The average cost to get a Florida driver’s license for someone from Puerto Rico is $34.

“You have all these people that were forced out of their homes because of a storm,” said Kat Calvin, a lawyer turned political organizer who founded Spread the Vote. “[T]hey now have the opportunity to elect someone who will actually do something and will actually care.”

The organization also helps people who are not from Puerto Rico but need voter identification cards.

=

\"PHOTO:
Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images
PHOTO: Puerto Rican American Marilie Vergaro holds the Puerto Rican flag as she celebrates Hispanic Heritage during a breakfast at the Kingdom of God Church in Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 4, 2016.
>

“Ninety percent of the people that we help, the very first thing they say is ‘I can get a job now,’” said Calvin, adding that 77 percent of the people who get an identification card through the organization are first-time voters.

For his part, Munoz looks to the November election as a moment of reckoning for people displaced by Maria.

“While a person is rebuilding their life post-Hurricane Maria, and having to relocate, who gets elected will directly affect what they have as a resource going forward as they rebuild their lives.”

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/US/hamilton-star-face-voter-id-card-drive-puerto/story?id=58490151","legacySlug":"/news/story/hamilton-star-face-voter-id-card-drive-puerto-58490151","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"21:04","publishDate":"10-14-2018","updatedTime":"11:24","updatedDate":"10-15-2018","socialImage":{"alt":"Javier Munoz attends Build Presents World AIDS Day at AOL HQ on Dec. 1, 2016 in New York City.","credit":"Desiree Navarro/Getty Images","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/javier-munoz-gty-jt-181014_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"10/14/2018 21:04:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":58490151,"headline":"'Hamilton' star fronts PSA for voter ID cards","mediaAssetTitle":"Florida Voting PSA ","description":"Javier Munoz made a video encouraging voting ahead of November's midterms. ","duration":"0:26","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/10/181015_wabc_hamilton_vote_reg_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132488083","132306053","132266872"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 29, 2026","headline":"Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","section":"News","slug":"/video/132488083","id":"132488083","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Grand jury indicts former FBI director over Instagram post","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260429_gma_thomas_comey2_706_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 23, 2026","headline":"Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","section":"News","slug":"/video/132306053","id":"132306053","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 22, 2026","headline":"Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","section":"News","slug":"/video/132266872","id":"132266872","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"'Hamilton' star fronts PSA for voter ID cards","description":"Javier Munoz made a video encouraging voting ahead of November's midterms. ","duration":"0:26","uploadDate":"10-14-2018","publication":"10-14-2018","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/10/181015_wabc_hamilton_vote_reg_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/10/181015_wabc_hamilton_vote_reg_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/hamilton-star-face-voter-id-card-drive-puerto-58490151"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132510121","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132473181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132497933","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"'Hamilton' star fronts PSA for voter ID cards","pubTime":"17:04","pubDate":"10-14-2018","modTime":"07:24","modDate":"10-15-2018","taxonomyTags":"none","id":58490151,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"'Hamilton' star fronts PSA for voter ID cards","mediaAssetTitle":"Florida Voting PSA ","videoId":58490151,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/hamilton-star-face-voter-id-card-drive-puerto-58490151"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/58490151","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/58490151","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};