Jason Kander launches Let America Vote, taking voting rights to the court of public opinion
The Democratic breakout candidate who gave Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt a run for his money last November is launching an effort to combat the GOP's continual efforts to suppress the votes of people of color. Jason Kander, who just completed his term as Missouri secretary of state, is spearheading a new effort designed to move the fight against voter suppression beyond the courts. A press release from the new organization reads:
Jason Kander today launched Let America Vote, an organization dedicated to winning the public debate over voter suppression in the United States. For several years, challenges to voter suppression efforts have taken place almost exclusively in courts of law. With the launch of Let America Vote, the fight expands to the court of public opinion. [...]
“Voting in our country has never been easy, and unfortunately it’s never been guaranteed for everyone,” Kander said. “But through the work of brave civil rights leaders, some of whom died for the cause, in the early 2000s we got to a point where most, but still not all, people who wanted to vote could do so. Today, that progress is in danger as laws targeting low-income and minority voters continue popping up across the country. Let America Vote will make the case for voting rights by exposing the real motivations of those who favor voter suppression laws. For the first time, politicians intent on denying certain Americans the right to vote will first have to consider the political consequences.” [...]
In 2016, in perhaps the most egregious and transparent act of voter intimidation [Missouri] has seen in decades, a local election authority stationed police officers outside polling places in minority neighborhoods. What is happening in Missouri is happening around the country.
The organization's launch couldn't be more timely, with the House Administration panel voting 6-3 Tuesday to scrap the Election Assistance Commission that is tasked with helping states improve their voting systems. It's not the GOP's first attempt to snuff out the commission, but it underscores the necessity of focusing on voter suppression efforts.