<P> On June 25, 2013, the US Supreme Court declared, by a 5--4 decision, in Shelby v. Holder that Section 4 (b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was unconstitutional . Previously, states with a history of proven voter discrimination were required to obtain preclearance from a federal court before making changes to their voting laws . "Section 4 of the Act contained the formula for determining which states or political subdivisions were covered by Section 5 . The majority opinion argued that the formula used to determine which jurisdictions required federal oversight or preclearance had not been updated to reflect current social conditions, including a decline in institutionalized discrimination and direct voter suppression . Since the Court's decision, several states passed new voter ID laws and other restrictions on registration and on voting . </P> <P> A 2005 report by former President Jimmy Carter and Former Secretary of State James Baker concluded that concerns of both those who support and oppose strengthened voter ID laws were legitimate . It recommended voter ID requirements be enacted, to be slowly phased in over a period of five years, and accompanied by the issuance of free ID cards provided by mobile ID vans that would visit traditionally underserved communities . In 2007, a report prepared by the staff of the federal Election Assistance Commission concluded "there is a great deal of debate on the pervasiveness of fraud ." </P> <P> According to a Harvard study, "the expenses for documentation, travel, and waiting time (for obtaining voter identification cards) are significant--especially for minority group and low - income voters--typically ranging from about $75 to $175 . When legal fees are added to these numbers, the costs range as high as $1,500 ." So even if the cards themselves may be free, the costs associated with obtaining the card can be expensive . The author of the study notes that the costs associated with obtaining the card far exceeds the $1.50 poll tax outlawed by the 24th amendment in 1964 . </P> <P> The vast majority of voter ID laws in the United States target only voter impersonation, of which there are only 31 documented cases in the United States from the 2000--2014 period . According to PolitiFact, "in - person voter fraud--the kind targeted by the ID law--remains extremely rare". According to the Associated Press, the New York Times, NPR, CNBC, the Guardian and FactCheck.Org the available research and evidence point to the type of fraud that would be prevented by voter ID laws as "very rare" or "extremely rare". PolitiFact finds the suggestion that "voter fraud is rampant" false, giving it its "Pants on Fire" rating . Most cases of alleged voter fraud involving dead voters have been shown to be a result of incorrect matching of voter rolls and death records, such as when someone died after they voted rather than before . </P>

What do you need to vote in america