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HOUSTON Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday called for sweeping changes in national voter-access laws aimed at making it easier for young people and minorities to take part in elections, putting her on a collision course with Republicans who say such measures are a political ploy that would lead to widespread abuses.

In a speech at a historically black college here, Clinton called for federal legislation that would automatically register Americans to vote at age18 and would mandate at least 20days of early voting ahead of election days in all states.

Making her most fiercely partisan political speech since her first, failed run for president in 2008, Clinton attacked Republicans for what she characterized as a calculated attempt to turn back the clock on voting rights and called out several potential 2016 opponents by name for backing voter restrictions as governors.

Today Republicans are systematically and deliberately trying to stop millions of American citizens from voting, Clinton said in a speech at Texas Southern University. What part of democracy are they afraid of?

The pointed attacks and extensive policy proposals signal that Clinton intends to make voter access a major plank in her campaign platform a move aimed at firing up the Democratic base and portraying her GOP opponents as suppressing votes. Her campaigns top lawyer, Marc Elias, has co-filed lawsuits over voting access in Ohio and Wisconsin both key presidential battleground states with Republican governors who may join the 2016 race.

The Republican National Committee accused Clinton of being misleading and divisive and noted that her home state of New York does not provide early voting. Her exploitation of this issue only underscores why voters find her dishonest and untrustworthy, RNC spokesman Orlando Watson said in a statement.

During her speech, Clinton said Republican state legislatures are intentionally restricting voting by curtailing early access to the polls and other measures in an effort to suppress Democratic turnout. Among the potential opponents she singled out for criticism were New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, former Florida governor Jeb Bush and former Texas governor Rick Perry. Perry announced his second run for the White House on Thursday.

Today there are people who offer themselves to be leaders whose actions have undercut this fundamental American principle of a free vote, Clinton said.

Perry spokesman Travis Considine said Clintons remarks demonstrate how truly out of touch she is with the people of Texas.

While it is unfortunate, Gov. Perry is not surprised that Hillary Clinton would come to Texas and call for weakening the integrity of our election process, Considine said in a statement.

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Hillary Clinton calls for sweeping expansion of voter ...