Future of U.S. democracy chancy as states battle over voting rights: report

NEW YORK, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- As of mid-January, lawmakers in 27 U.S. states are considering over 250 bills with provisions that restrict voting in future elections, compared to 75 such bills a year ago, a new report has found.

According to the report from the Brennan Center for Justice, at least 41 bills would undermine the electoral process by giving partisan actors more influence and permitting citizens to initiate or conduct post-election audits.

Meanwhile, 32 states are deliberating on bills that would expand access to voting.

"Not all of them are serious, and not all of them will pass. But what we also know from looking at last year is often these bad bills become bad laws," said Michael Waldman, president of the center, in an interview with the National Public Radio on Thursday.

As the trend of passing "mischievous and even targeted" bills continues, there is far less protection for voters from the federal government or the federal courts, he added.