In his eulogy for Rep. John Lewis, former President Obama addresses the state of voting in the US on the eve of a presidential election, saying 'people in power are attacking our voting rights with surgical precision'
Former President Barack Obama took the opportunity during his eulogy for Rep. John Lewis to raise awareness about ongoing efforts to stifle voting in the US on the eve of a presidential election.
“Even as we sit here, there are those in power who are doing their darnedest to discourage people from voting by closing polling locations and targeting minorities and students with restrictive ID laws and attacking our voting rights with surgical precision, even undermining the postal service in the run up to an election. It's going to be dependent on mail-in ballots so people don't get sick," Obama said to a standing ovation.
Obama said the late congressman"devoted his time on this Earth fighting the very attacks on democracy and what's best in America that we're seeing circulate right now.” "We should keep marching. To make it even better. By making sure every American is automatically registered to vote, including former inmates who've earned their second chance," Obama said to applause."By adding polling places. And expanding early voting and making election day a national holiday so if you are somebody who's working in a factory or you're a single mom, who's got to go to her job and doesn't get time off, you can still cast your ballot.
Trump has no authority to delay an election, and the Constitution gives Congress the power to set the date for voting. Lawmakers from both parties said almost immediately there was no likelihood the election would be delayed.
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