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Please, the GOP outcries over the phantom menace of voter fraud escalated after 2008. Why? Because Obama's candidacy attracted historic numbers of first-time voters. In the 29 states that record party affiliation, roughly two-thirds of new voters
registered as Democrats in 2007 and 2008 – and Obama won nearly 70 percent of their votes.

Bill Clinton told a group of student activists in July. "Why is all of this going on? This is not rocket science. They are trying to make the 2012 electorate look more like the 2010 electorate than the 2008 electorate" – a reference to the dominance of the
Tea Party last year, compared to the millions of students and minorities who turned out for Obama.

If you think about it. Have you ever heard of a fake voter showing up on Election Day claiming to be someone else? Do teens get fake IDs so they can go to the polls?

Republican legislators say the new rules, which have advanced in 13 states in the past two months, offer a practical way to weed out fraudulent votes and preserve the integrity of the ballot box.

The states that have already passed voter-suppression legislation account for 171 electoral votes in 2012 – 270 are needed to be elected president.

In a time when about half of voting-age population turnout to actually vote, we should be making voter laws easier and not harder. Adding further steps in order to vote does this. Adding costs that some people cannot simply afford does this.

Now don't get me wrong, every voter should demonstrate that they are who they say they are before voting. That form of proof should not include restrictive documentation requirements like overly burdensome photo ID or redundant proof of citizenship requirements that serve to block millions of eligible American citizens fromvoting. American citizens should not be subject to costly restrictive documentation requirements that limit access to the polls. 

Studies show that as many as 12% of eligible voters do not have government-issued photo ID. That percentage is even higher for seniors, people of color, people with disabilities, low-income voters, and students. Many citizens find it hard to
get government photo IDs, because the underlying documentation like birth certificates (the ID one needs to get ID) is often difficult or expensive to come by. At the same time, voter ID policies are far more costly to implement than many assume.

It is a fact that making it easier for voters increases votes. 

A perfect example of this is in NY State where four bills which would result in increased voter participation, a more efficient Board of Elections and make ballot casting more convenient have been introduced by state Senator Michael Gianaris
(D–Astoria).

The lawmaker said,“The upcoming special elections remind us of the importance of voting. As we quickly approach 2012, it is vital that we make voting an accessible and convenient process in order to maximize turnout. Every ballot counts and New
Yorkers must be able to exercise this valuable right as easily as possible.”

The four bills do the following:

•S 1970 facilitates voting by designating libraries, local housing authority buildings and public high schools as participating polling sites that offer voter registration forms, renewal services and change of address services.

•S 1972 allows for Election Day Voter Registration so new voters can register to vote up to Election Day itself.

•S 1974 would enact the Automatic Voter Registration Act, and provide for the automatic voter registration of persons at least 18 years old based on motor vehicle and tax records.

•S 1978 removes the requirement that voter registration be completed at least 10 days before Election Day.

This is how democracy works! Not these moves to roll back voter-access laws across the country has been radical and unprecedented. They have been the most significant cutback in voting rights since the Jim Crow laws and poll taxes. It could cause more voters to lose their opportunity to cast ballots than the margin of victory in two out of the past three presidential elections.

It would seem that  Republican controlled state houses plans around the country are coming to fruition.

But the right to vote is widely recognized as a fundamental human right. The right to vote is the foundation of any democracy. It is a cherished right that we had to fight for in order to achieve. It would seem that the fight is not over.