A visiting Congressman from South Carolina says efforts around the country to require people to show photo IDs in order to vote are the 21st Century equivalent of a poll tax.
Poll taxes were common in the pre-civil rights era, and were often used to make it difficult or impossible for minorities to vote.
They were eventually found to be unconstitutional.
At a roundtable discussion in Springfield, Democratic Congressman James Clyburn says it is clear that such laws are attempts at voter suppression, and are not necessary to prevent voter fraud.
