Nothing is more fundamental to our democracy than the right to vote. Yet new laws passed around the country -- which restrict the pool of eligible voters and make it harder for Americans to cast a ballot -- represent a step backwards in a decades-long struggle to end voter discrimination in this country.

These laws are a thinly-disguised effort to shape the electorate for the critically important 2012 elections by disenfranchising huge numbers of voters who are African-American, elderly, students or have disabilities.

Don't let America turn back the clock on the fundamental right to vote. Support every citizen's right to vote.