ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Thousands of people in cities across the United States marched for voting rights on Saturday, which marked the 58th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic March on Washington, and the "I Have a Dream" speech.
St. Pete was one of those cities where around 300 people gathered as part of the "March On for Voting Rights" movement, asking elected officials to work to ensure fair and easy access to voting for all communities.
“Our intent is to show that there’s a large body of the population, the majority of Americans support voting rights. And our goal is to convey a message to the people that aren’t aware of the issue, number 1, but most importantly, we want to convey a message to our senators and to the president, that we expect them to do everything in their power to pass the voting rights legislation currently in the Senate,” said Mike Hughes, an organizer with Indivisible Safety Harbor North Pinellas.
The House of Representatives passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act on Tuesday without Republican support. Now the legislation faces an uphill battle in the Senate.
Supporters of the bill say it will ensure voting access for minority voters, while opposers have argued it would result in a federal takeover of elections.
