(1) In accordance with the Constitution, each individual state sets up its voting laws. Congress is not going to pass an amendment, and the states wouldn't ratify it. There is little he can do in this regard.

Those of us in the states should work toward expanding early voting, or better, mail in ballots. But that is a state by state issue.

...you can do something like making receipt of highway funds contingent on enacting the provisions of the law. The Constitution doesn't say the federal government has to pay for a state's roads either.

We really do need minimum federal standards for voting to fix the current mess. We're hardly shining as a beacon of democracy when we can't run a simple, clean, fast, and reliable election.

I'll contact my congressperson (Suzanne Bonamichi) and senators Wyden and Merkley with this suggestion. Without fair and open elections, faith in the government is the victim.

And, again, the Constitution allows states to conduct elections as they see fit as long as they follow the times set in the Constitution. Such a law would certainly go to the supreme Court, and even a liberal court would likely see it is as Unconstitutional interference in states rights. Also, funding bills must start in the House. I doubt such a provision would even be written into legislation with Republicans in control. Democrats would also likely be leary of trying to force states to bend to federal authority on the matter of elections.

Yes, we do need election reform, but the President simply doesn't have the authority to do that. You might as well seek a Constitutional amendment.

And, with the economy yet to get back into a fully functioning system, there are more critical things to be done than tilt at windmills.