In the test vote to open debate on the voting and election bill known as the For the People Act, the Democrats and Republicans faced a 50-50 lock up in the Senate and the bill will fall short of advancing as the opposition remains united.  

The Democrats needed 60 votes to even begin debate. 

The Senate was taking up an amended version of the legislation that passed the House in March.

Democrats put up a united front in favor of the vote after securing last-minute approval from West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, but so were the Republicans, resulting in an overall failure for the bill to advance.

The Democratic party pitched the bill as a necessary countermeasure to efforts of various Republican-ruled states to restrict voting access, but Republicans have described it as a partisan power ploy and a federal intervention into state voting and election systems.

Critics have widely criticised the state measures, which include restricting mail-in ballots, criminalizing the delivery of water to people waiting to vote, and limiting early Sunday voting hours as a way to deny Black churches’ “souls to the polls” events.

The Democrats’ historic bill, S1, is aimed at ensuring Americans can vote by mail, plus have full access to early voting and use of ballot drop boxes.