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The New York Times notes in an editorial today that voter fraud in this country is almost nonexistent. "The only reason Republicans are passing these laws is to give themselves a political edge by suppressing Democratic votes."

96-year-old Dorothy Cooper's story is just the latest outrageous example of recent legislation, passed by Republican statehouses and governors, creating barriers to voting.

In at least 36 states across the country, Republican governors and legislators have been pushing photo ID bills, which would make it harder for hundreds of thousands of Americans to vote. Despite an overwhelming number of studies disputing claims of voter fraud, which is the purported basis for these laws, Republicans continue to introduce these proposals—often at the expense of minorities and young adults in particular.

On July 14, 2011, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus held a conference call with conservative bloggers and Republican leaders to perpetuate the myth of widespread voter fraud in American elections. Following this call, Priebus circulated misinformation that made the same erroneous claims used by Republican state legislatures to support harsh photo ID requirements in more than 30 states.

In yesterday's Washington Post, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach published an op-ed that argued for unnecessary and suppressive photo ID laws. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times false claims about the new photo ID laws are refuted, Republican policymakers continue to introduce them.