Poll: 70 percent support voter ID laws

Seven in 10 registered voters are in favor of identification laws in order to root out fraud at the ballot box, according to a Fox News poll released this week. 

The survey found majority support in every major demographic, including black voters and Democrats. 

{mosads}The 70 percent who support voter ID laws remains largely unchanged in the past few years. Another 27 percent believe the laws are unnecessary.

The issue has resurfaced recently as Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Republicans should not go too crazy over the law because they are offending people, African-Americans in particular. 

He later clarified he believes the laws should not be a defining issue for Republicans, and they should be left up to the states to decide. A total of 31 states have active voter identification laws, while a handful of others have recently been struck down in state courts. 

The survey found majorities of every demographic support the law. Ninety-one percent of Republicans offer support, and 66 percent of independents feel the same. 

Fifty-five percent of Democrats support the laws, while 43 percent oppose them. 

Opposition to the laws is highest among black respondents, but even there a bare majority, 51 percent, support them. Forty-six percent of African Americans oppose the laws. 

Many Democratic lawmakers are opposed to strict voter identification laws, arguing they are largely unnecessary and discourage minority voting. Republicans argue they are necessary to cut down on voter fraud, though very few cases have been reported. 

The poll asked, “Supporters of these laws say they are necessary to stop ineligible people from voting illegally. Opponents say these laws are unnecessary and mostly discourage legal voters from voting. What do you think?”

The poll surveyed 1,025 registered voters and margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.