Every election cycle, voter ID laws cause controversy. But the 2010 Republican wave in state government and aggressive pushback from the Justice Department have combined to create a clash that could end at the Supreme Court. The fight over voter ID is almost entirely along party lines. Republicans argue that voter ID is a necessary protection against voter fraud while Democrats counter that fraud is used as an excuse to suppress turnout among elderly, poor and minority voters who may have more difficulty obtaining proper ID. (Evidence of widespread fraud is scant.) Here’s an update on where it stands, across the country.
Since the 2010 election, eight states have passed laws requiring voters to carry identification: Alabama, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. Twenty-seven states already had voter ID laws on the books before 2011.
The new voter ID law in Kansas doesn’t take effect until January 2013. Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) is trying to fast-track it for the November election but legislative leaders say they don’t have time to act on his proposal.
Full Article: Behind the brewing voter ID war – The Washington Post.