Former secretary of state launches 'Let America Vote' effort

ST. LOUIS -- Three months after losing his bid for the U.S. Senate, former Democratic Missouri secretary of state Jason Kander is launching an organization that's taking a new approach to fight what he calls voter suppression efforts.

Kander on Tuesday announced an organization called Let America Vote. A 27-member advisory board includes elected officials from across the country, communications leaders, and activists that include Martin Luther King III, the son of the slain civil-rights leader.

Kander said challenges to voter identification laws have typically come in the courts. He said Let America Vote takes a different approach, seeking to inform public opinion.

Kander is a former Army intelligence officer who was elected secretary of state in 2012. He lost in the 2016 Senate race to incumbent Republican Roy Blunt.