WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - U.S. voters in 14 states are navigating new laws that critics say make it harder for lower-income and minority voters, who typically back Democrats, to cast ballots in the midterm elections.
Advocacy groups across the country are gearing up to help voters contend with cutbacks in early voting and new state requirements for voter identification, which the mostly Republican sponsors say are necessary to combat voter fraud.
Democrats and civil rights groups counter there is scant evidence of fraud, and say the measures are a Republican effort to depress turnout by Democratic-leaning demographic groups such as the young, poor and minorities.
The laws are the latest in a wave of voting restrictions instituted by Republican-controlled legislatures and Republican governors since the party's big election gains in 2010.
Many are being used for the first time in a national election on Tuesday, after the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2013 invalidated a section of the Voting Rights Act that required areas with a history of racial discrimination, mainly in the U.S. South, to get federal approval for changes to voting laws.
Alabama, Mississippi, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia have more stringent voter identification laws this year. Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin have shortened early-voting periods ahead of Election Day on Nov. 4. Indiana and Kansas also have new laws in place related to ballot challenges and proof of citizenship.
In North Carolina, the reduction in early voting hours and the elimination of same-day voter registration that is popular with minority voters could impact Democratic Senator Kay Hagan's re-election fight with Republican Thom Tillis, a key piece in the Republican push for a Senate majority.
High-profile governor's races in Wisconsin, Ohio and Texas, and thousands of down-ballot races, also could be influenced by more restrictive election laws.
The Supreme Court issued a flurry of rulings on voting laws earlier this month, permitting Texas to enforce its strict photo ID voter law in the midterm elections while the state appeals trial court ruling that it is discriminatory. But in a separate decision, the high court blocked Wisconsin from implementing a 2011 law requiring voters to show a photo ID that advocates said could have disenfranchised more than 300,000 residents.
In all, 31 states have some form of voter identification law in effect for next week, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures, including seven with strict requirements for photo IDs.
In Texas, the law's opponents have criticized the types of photo identification that will be accepted: a concealed handgun license is valid, a university ID is not. "This is partisan politics at its worst," NAACP President Cornell Brooks said.
A coalition of voting and civil rights advocacy groups with more than 100 participating partners has launched a toll-free hotline to provide coast-to-coast voting advice, and state groups on the ground are reaching out to inform potential voters on the requirements.
The Texas Organizing Project's Drive for Democracy program has targeted the state's infrequent voters, who tend to be minorities who stay home when there is no presidential race or who do not know their voting rights.
San Antonio resident Agustin Villegas, 18, said he would not have voted if Democratic State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer had not shown up at his door to offer him a ride.
"I'm not very political," he said.
(Reporting By Amanda Becker in Washington, Marti Ann Maguire in Raleigh and Jim Forsyth in San Antonio.; Editing by John Whitesides and Frances Kerry)
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.