The president appears to tacitly acknowledge the fading hopes for voting rights bills in Congress, saying he would launch a nationwide campaign to arm voters with information on rules changes and restrictions before the 2022 midterm elections.

When Democrats last fled the state 2 decades ago – in an ultimately failed attempt to stop new Republican-drawn voting maps – state troopers were deployed to try bringing them back.

Maine’s senators split their votes on the measure, with independent Angus King voting to proceed on the bill, and Susan Collins, a Republican, voting against proceeding.