According to a report by the Brennan Center for Justice, new legislation passed in 2011 in 14 states made it harder for minorities, seniors, and students to vote. As a result, it’s estimated that more than five million eligible voters will have a more difficult time voting in the 2012 election. But is there really voter fraud taking place throughout the country?

A comprehensive Justice Department investigation found that between 2002 and 2007 not a single person was prosecuted for going to the polls and impersonating an eligible voter, which the anti-fraud laws are supposedly designed to stop. Out of the 300 million votes cast in that period, federal prosecutors convicted only 86 people for voter fraud–– and the vast majority of those cases involved immigrants and former felons who were simply unaware of their ineligibility.

Yesterday, a US District Court judge blocked portions of Florida’s registration law requiring voter-drive groups to turn over completed materials to the state within 48 hours or face possible $1,000 fines. The two-day window, which was previously 10 days, made no provision for mailing applications and served little, if any, purpose, the judge stated.

Also yesterday, the Justice Department wrote Florida’s Secretary of State warning that a state program to identify 180,00 ineligible voters may violate federal law, including one aimed at reviewing voter limits in states such as Florida with a history of racial discrimination. The U.S. told the state to respond by June 6 whether it will cease the practice.

The question facing the Justice Department is whether Florida’s attempt to verify voter eligibility violates the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the 1993 National Voter Registration Act. Under the Voting Rights Act, federal approval is required for election law changes in five Florida counties because of past racial discrimination. Any changes must be submitted for review by a federal judge in Washington and the U.S. attorney general under the Voting Rights Act.

Here’s a suggestion. Instead of worrying about imagined voter fraud, perhaps those concerned citizens so interested in protecting voting rights and preserving democracy should concentrate their efforts on registering the 51 million citizens––more than 24 percent of the eligible population––who are not registered to vote.

After all, as the Brennan Center for Justice concluded, “It is more likely that an individual will be struck by lightning, than that he will impersonate another voter at the polls.”