U.S. Senate to stage voting rights reform bill vote-Schumer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A newly-crafted election reform bill will be put to a vote in the U.S. Senate as soon as next week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday, despite strong opposition among Republicans who could block the measure.

In remarks on the Senate floor, Schumer said that over the just-ended summer recess, a revised bill was put together that he said would protect Americans' "freedom to vote" and end partisan creation of congressional districts and that moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin was talking to Republicans about it.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan, Editing by Franklin Paul)