White House to drop effort to federalize elections in favor of state approach

President Joe Biden will push states to make it easier to vote after congressional Democrats' sweeping electoral reform bill failed in the Senate.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki previewed Biden's next steps to promote ballot box access after he was criticized by liberal Democrats for not speaking more forcefully about the issue.

"What you should expect to hear from him is that there are many ways to work across the country with activists, with states, with legislators, using every lever at our disposal to expand access, improve access to voting for people," Psaki said Wednesday.

Biden has repeatedly emphasized the importance of voting in remarks and interviews, including the speech he delivered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this month, Psaki said. Biden believes voting is a "fundamental right," she added.