Updated

President Barack Obama's campaign has enlisted an army of lawyers to be on standby for this year's election as legal disputes surrounding the voting process escalate.

Thousands of attorneys and support staffers have agreed to aid in the effort. The legal support appears to be unprecedented in its size and far exceeds similar efforts by Republicans and independent conservative groups.

The campaign says the effort is necessary because of the implementation of new voter ID laws across the country, the possibility of anti-fraud activists challenging legitimate voters and the handling of voter registrations in the most competitive states. Republicans say they're focused on preventing fraud -- making sure people don't vote unless they're eligible -- rather than turning away qualified voters.

Several states with Republican leaders have recently pursued changes that could make voting more difficult, including key states such as Florida and Ohio. Voting rights groups believe that the laws could suppress votes from low-income and minority blocs.

GOP leaders dispute that the laws are political. But Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, told GOP supporters over the weekend that the state's new ID law "is going to allow Gov. Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania."