Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., called on the Obama administration to send observers to polling stations to guard the election, CNN reports.
"We should ask for federal protection," the civil rights pioneer said Wednesday, speaking at a roundtable on voting rights in the Capitol. He cautioned that "the election can be stolen on election day at polling places."
Lewis also noted that this will be the first presidential election since the U.S. Supreme Court decided that certain parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 are no longer valid in 2013. Lewis said it was a "shame and a disgrace" that Congress hasn't taken action to revise the law.
At the time, President Barack Obama called the ruling a "setback," according to CNN, and vowed that his "administration will continue to do everything in its power to ensure a fair and equal voting process."
Lewis' fellow Georgia Congressman Rep. Hank Johnson is planning to introduce two bills on Wednesday intended to protect the election, Wired reports.
The Election Infrastructure and Security Promotion Act of 2016 would compel the Department of Homeland Security to designate voting systems as critical infrastructure, which would help keep the country's voting setup secure. The Election Integrity Act would regulate the voting machines that states can purchase, and institute a plan for system failures.
"In the wake of the DNC server hack and well-documented efforts by states to suppress the vote, citizens are rightly concerned," Johnson said in a statement from FedScoop.com.
"We must work to reduce the vulnerability of our crucial voting systems, protect the security and integrity of our electoral process, and ensure all Americans have the opportunity to vote."
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