Senate Republicans Tuesday blocked sweeping legislation on election and campaign finance reforms that Democrats said is crucial to ensuring voting rights and saving democracy but the GOP blasted as a partisan power grab.

The "For the People Act" needed 60 votes to clear a procedural vote in the Senate Tuesday, but Republicans filibustered and killed the legislation from advancing to debate. No Republicans joined with the 50 Democrats on the motion to proceed.

Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked a sweeping bill to overhaul federal elections, ratcheting up already inflamed tensions over voting rights. 

Senators voted 50-50 in the evenly divided Senate on advancing the For the People Act, splitting along party lines and failing to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster. 

The vote is the culmination of weeks of partisan rancor and behind-the-scenes talks over changing the nation's voting laws in the wake of the 2020 presidential election.

Senate Democrats suffered a loss on Tuesday when Republican opposition sunk their signature voting and election bill during a key test vote, underscoring the limits of the party's power with the narrowest possible Senate majority.

A procedural vote to open debate on the legislation was defeated by a tally of 50-50, falling short of the 60 votes needed to succeed. Democrats were united in favor of the vote after securing support from Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, but Republicans were united against it, causing the measure to fail to advance.