New voting laws had an effect, but not enough to sway the election's outcome


              A poll worker lifts the curtain as Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., center, leaves the voting booth with her daughter, Kate, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, at Charlotte Avenue Elementary School in Nashua, N.H. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
A poll worker lifts the curtain as Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., center, leaves the voting booth with her daughter, Kate, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, at Charlotte Avenue Elementary School in Nashua, N.H. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

WASHINGTON (AP) - For the 2016 presidential election, 14 states had new voting or registration restrictions, and that raised concerns about whether minority voters in particular would have a harder time accessing the ballot box.

Voting experts believe the laws had some effect on turnout this year. But they say it'll be difficult to measure against other factors - such as a lack of enthusiasm for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton and the decision of many people simply not to vote.

While some states did make it more difficult for voters to participate, there's no evidence the changes affected the race's outcome.

Among the states that enacted restrictions in recent years are Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin. Trump won all those battlegrounds.

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