Trump, Clinton told they can’t win White House without black vote

CINCINNATI — Civil rights activists frustrated by police slayings of blacks across the nation are looking to flex their voting power to push for reforms.

The convention’s theme of “Our Lives Matter, Our Votes Count” underscored goals of defending black voting rights and getting out the vote in the first presidential election since black turnout helped Barack Obama twice win the presidency.

Black voters cast some 13 percent of presidential ballots in 2012, according to exit polling, and are particularly pivotal in Ohio, Florida and other swing states.

Trump passed on an NAACP speaking invitation to focus on the Republican National Convention this week in Cleveland, but one of his GOP rivals in the presidential primaries, Gov. John Kasich, talked to the gathering Sunday evening about his own Ohio initiative on police reforms.