The voting franchise, how many people participate in the voting process,
             is known to be an important factor in shaping government policies. A
             recent study examined state government spending and state and local
             spending for forty-six states from 1950 until 1988 (Husted and Kenny,
             1997). It found that the elimination of poll taxes and literacy tests led
             to higher turnout, particularly among the poor, and a poorer pivotal voter.
             As a result, a fall in the income of voters relative to state income, and
             the ouster of Republicans from state government led to a sharp rise in
             welfare spending but no change in other spending.
             Today, legislative redistricting is one of the most hotly debated
             areas that impact the voter franchise. The U.S. Supreme Court has stated,
             "Unconstitutional discrimination occurs ... when the electoral system is
             arranged in a manner that will consistently degrade a voter's or a group of
             voters' influence on the political process as a whole" (Statement on the
             voter redistricting process). Many critics feel that voting districts are
             redrawn for partisan considerations resulting in political gerrymandering
             that interferes with the right to vote, and is used by the legislature to
             dilute votes and influence the outcome of the elections, thereby impairing
             Further, activists charge that there are many citizens who are
             prevented, either by law or practice, from registering or voting. The
             laundry list of examples supporting this belief include laws that link
             voter eligibility to criminal conviction and citizenship, needlessly early
             voter registration deadlines, difficult voter registration processes,
             inaccessible and out-of-the-way polling places, and voting machines that
             require English literacy, visual acuity and manual dexterity (Blain, 2004).
             Clearly, the voter franchise is a major source of political influence
             ...