Salon takes a look at the states in which voter suppression tactics by Republican supporters has been alleged, which may become “the hottest spots to watch in the battle over the ballot box” if the election is close.

“Voter suppression can be difficult to prove. Suppression tactics — anything from purging voter rolls under suspicious circumstances to using various justifications to question the eligibility of potential voters — are often the product of legal gray areas being exploited at the hands of local partisan officials. To date, no one has presented evidence of any nationally organized effort by the Republican Party to suppress Democratic votes. But there is little doubt that at local and regional levels — in some potentially critical states on the electoral map — there has been dubious activity that could result in the disenfranchisement of voters who would likely punch the ballot for Barack Obama.”

Read the full story here.