New Secretary of State Jason Kander calls for easier absentee voting, campaign reforms
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New Secretary of State Jason Kander calls for easier absentee voting, campaign reforms

Date: January 14, 2013
By: Wes Duplantier
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: 
He's just finished his first day in office, but Missouri's new Secretary of State already says he has big plans to clean up the state's elections.
RunTime:  0:41
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Democrat Jason Kander says state lawmakers should bring back limits on campaign contributions. Missouri's limits were repealed by the Republican-led Legislature.

And Kander, a former House Democrat, says he wants the state to tighten rules on other parts of the political process.

Actuality:  KAND1.WAV
Run Time:  00:12
Description: "There's a lot of things we can do in this state, whether it be banning those gifts from lobbyists to legislators or getting rid of the money laundering process that exists in state politics by political action committees being able to wash money back and forth."

Democrats have tried to bring back campaign contribution limits in the past but have met resistence from the other side of the aisle.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Wes Duplantier. Newsradio 1120 KMOX.

Intro: 
The next general election is still many months away, but Missouri's new Secretary of State says he has big plans to voting easier.
RunTime:  0:41
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Democrat Jason Kander says that, at a minimum, the state should have no excuse absentee voting.

The current absentee system requires that voters to give one of five reasons when they vote by absentee ballot.

Kander said allowing people to vote absentee for any reason-- or no reason at all--could shorten lines on Election Day and make it easier to cast a ballot.  

Actuality:  KAND2.WAV
Run Time:  00:09
Description: "Without any additional taxpayer money at all, we can change that to a no-excuse required absentee voting system and we can decrease those lines by giving more people an opportunity to participate in our democracy."

But approaches to allow earlier voting in the past have met resistence from some Republicans in the state.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Wes Duplantier. Newsradio 1120 KMOX.