Last November 2010 Republicans won control of many state houses, and since then more than a dozen states have passed laws that require voters to show photo identification at the voting polls, cut back early voting periods, or establish new restrictions on voter registration drives. With the new presidential elections just around the corner, the question is how all of this is going to affect the 2012 race. Political Parties, state officials, and voting experts agree that the impact could be considerable. A recent study released yesterday by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, attempts to show how many voters will be affected. They concluded that the laws “could make it significantly harder for more than five million eligible voters to cast ballots in 2012.” This has turned into a very controversial topic. Republicans try justify their actions by saying that these new laws help prevent voter fraud. Democrats oppose stating that “these new laws are a solution in search of problems,” (NY times) for voter fraud is rare. They fear these new laws will discourage, or impede eligible citizens to vote. Senator Richard J Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, said the new laws “will make it harder for millions of disabled, young, minority, rural, elderly, homeless and low income Americans to vote.” (NY times)
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