On voting rights, Biden’s power to act on his own is limited

By COLLEEN LONG, CHRIS MEGERIAN and MICHAEL BALSAMO
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — With the November elections creeping up and Republicans imposing new restrictions on ballot access, President Biden has no easy options for safeguarding voting rights despite rising pressure from frustrated activists. Unlike issues such as immigration or environmental protection, the White House has little leverage on voting rights without congressional action. That has advocates worried there’s not enough time to fight back against laws and policies in the states that make it harder to vote. Democrats have been unsuccessful at changing Senate rules to allow the slim Democratic majority in the chamber to pass new voting rights laws without GOP support.