5 Things to Know About Voter ID Laws

A look at voter ID laws' impact on two primaries.

New Voter ID Laws in Action - Untested voter ID laws set to go into effect in the 2014 election cycle have stirred a great deal of concern among voting and civil rights advocates. So far, the results have been mixed. The Associated Press answers five questions you may have about how the laws impacted voters in two Southern primaries. (Photo: Government ID)

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New Voter ID Laws in Action - Untested voter ID laws set to go into effect in the 2014 election cycle have stirred a great deal of concern among voting and civil rights advocates. So far, the results have been mixed. The Associated Press answers five questions you may have about how the laws impacted voters in two Southern primaries. (Photo: Government ID)

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What Happened During the Primaries? - No major problems were reported in Alabama, where Republicans control the Legislature and governor's office, although a Democratic-led group said poll workers turned away an unspecified number of voters for not having the right ID, including a 93-year-old man who has been voting since World War II. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Photo By Mario Tama/Getty Images

Did the Laws Work By Curbing Any Fraud? - The absence of massive problems might mean the laws worked as intended, or it might mean nothing at all. Primary voters often are fully engaged in the political process, and their numbers are relatively small compared with general elections. The laws could have a different effect in November, when larger numbers of people could show up at polls without ID. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Did the Laws Work By Curbing Any Fraud? - The absence of massive problems might mean the laws worked as intended, or it might mean nothing at all. Primary voters often are fully engaged in the political process, and their numbers are relatively small compared with general elections. The laws could have a different effect in November, when larger numbers of people could show up at polls without ID. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Photo By Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

How Many States Have Some Form Of the Law? - Thirty-four states have passed laws requiring some sort of identification from voters, but only 31 of them are in effect, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Courts have struck down voter ID laws in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and a law passed in North Carolina won't take effect until 2016. (Photo: Mike Agliolo/Corbis)

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How Many States Have Some Form Of the Law? - Thirty-four states have passed laws requiring some sort of identification from voters, but only 31 of them are in effect, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Courts have struck down voter ID laws in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and a law passed in North Carolina won't take effect until 2016. (Photo: Mike Agliolo/Corbis)

Why Do People Like or Dislike the Laws? - Supporters say the Republican-backed laws prevent fraud by making it more difficult for people to cast ballots in the name of inactive or even deadvoters. Critics say such problems are virtually nonexistent, and they maintain the laws suppress voting by making it tougher for people to cast ballots because some poor and elderly voters don't have the right IDs. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Why Do People Like or Dislike the Laws? - Supporters say the Republican-backed laws prevent fraud by making it more difficult for people to cast ballots in the name of inactive or even deadvoters. Critics say such problems are virtually nonexistent, and they maintain the laws suppress voting by making it tougher for people to cast ballots because some poor and elderly voters don't have the right IDs. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Photo By Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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The Next Big Test for the Laws - Voter ID laws could come into play June 10 in Arkansas, where runoff elections are scheduled and early voting is underway. A county judge ruled the law was unconstitutional, but the state Supreme Court blocked the order from taking effect. The new law was enforced in primary voting last month, but officials said only a small number of voters were rejected. (Photo: Getty Images)