Senate GOP again poised to block Democrats’ election bill

By BRIAN SLODYSKO
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — For the third time this year, Senate Democrats are forcing a test vote on sweeping elections legislation that they tout as a powerful counterweight to new voting restrictions in the states. Once again, Republicans are certain to block it.. But amid the stalemate, there are signs that Democrats are making headway in their effort to create consensus around changing Senate procedural rules so they could muscle transformative legislation through the narrowly divided chamber. Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats, recently dropped his longstanding opposition to changing a rule known as the filibuster, which requires 60 votes for legislation to pass. King said he concluded that democracy is  “more important than any Senate rule.”