North Carolina Press Release
Press
Media Contacts
Katie Scally
Communications Director
kscally@commoncause.org
202-736-5713
Ariana Marmolejo
Communications Strategist
amarmolejo@commoncause.org
Kenny Colston
Regional Communications Strategist (Midwest)
kcolston@commoncause.org
Maya Majikas
Communications Strategist
mmajikas@commoncause.org
Common Cause’s network of national and state democracy reform experts are frequent media commentators. To talk with one of our experts, please reach out to any member of the press team above.
Press Release
Arizona: State Leaders Adjourn With Handful of Pro-Voting Wins
Arizona’s 2024 legislative session adjourned with a handful of voting rights victories, despite the referral of some anti-democracy measures to this year’s ballot.
News Clip
Democracy Docket: What Is the Future of Redistricting? Perhaps a Politician-Free Process, Experts Say
“Illinois’ process basically demonstrated everything that’s wrong with elected officials being in charge of redistricting,” Dan Vicuña, director of the Redistricting and Representation program at Common Cause, told Democracy Docket. “It lacked transparency, disregarded public input, made it very difficult for the public to provide feedback and ignored a lot of community needs.”
In October, the nonprofit organization released a “report card” grading states on their redistricting processes based on certain...
In October, the nonprofit organization released a “report card” grading states on their redistricting processes based on certain...
Democracy Docket
News Clip
Associated Press: Electronic voting worries security experts. Nevada touts safeguards as it expands it to tribes
Susannah Goodman, director of election security for Common Cause, is among those concerned that there are no federal guidelines for such systems and no independent reviews, unlike what’s in place for voting machines and ballot tabulators.
An attempt to create independent standards ended in late 2022 after a group of experts determined it wasn’t possible at the time given the technology and cyber risks.
An attempt to create independent standards ended in late 2022 after a group of experts determined it wasn’t possible at the time given the technology and cyber risks.
Press Release
Common Cause/NY Statement on Trump Guilty Verdict
NEW YORK, NY -- This evening, a jury in Manhattan found former President Trump guilty on 34 counts. In response, Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY issued the following statement:
"This case was always about hiding key information from voters, and now a jury of the former president's peers have confirmed that he lied to the public by falsifying business records in order to influence the outcome of the 2016 election. This is a felony punishable with jail time or probation, and just like anyone else convicted of...
"This case was always about hiding key information from voters, and now a jury of the former president's peers have confirmed that he lied to the public by falsifying business records in order to influence the outcome of the 2016 election. This is a felony punishable with jail time or probation, and just like anyone else convicted of...
News Clip
HuffPost: How A Diss During A Hearing Led To A Breakthrough Bipartisan Ethics Bill
Aaron Scherb, senior director of legislative affairs at Common Cause, said elements of the bill resembled elements of other bills Common Cause has supported, such as the For the People Act, a sweeping ethics package that Democrats pushed through the House in 2021. (Rather than merely demand disclosure, that bill would require presidents to divest from assets that present conflicts of interest.)
“These are not pulled out of a hat,” Scherb said. “So I think this language, at first glance, seems to be a step in the right...
“These are not pulled out of a hat,” Scherb said. “So I think this language, at first glance, seems to be a step in the right...
Delaware Press Release
Common Cause Urges “No” Vote on House Bill to Change DC Election Laws While a Primary is Already Underway
News Clip
Marketplace (AUDIO): Trump campaign will now accept crypto contributions
“Cryptocurrency is extremely volatile and unpredictable. So you can bypass the contribution limit if the value goes fairly up,” said Ishan Mehta, director for the media and democracy program at Common Cause. “It becomes easy to do money laundering if you’re using, you know, some of the lesser known cryptocurrency or some of the fly-by-night cryptocurrencies.”
The FEC says that as long as the value of the crypto at the time it was donated falls below the contribution limits, it’s fine. But Mehta said that there are...
The FEC says that as long as the value of the crypto at the time it was donated falls below the contribution limits, it’s fine. But Mehta said that there are...
Marketplace
News Clip
PolitiFact: Social media claims mislead about Democratic vote for congressional apportionment
Dan Vicuña, the redistricting and representation director at Common Cause, a voting rights group, told PolitiFact, "Making residents of the United States invisible for the purposes of congressional apportionment would be a clear violation of the U.S. constitution."
PolitiFact
Press Release
New Report Examines Redistricting Impact on Native American Communities Post-2020 Census
A new report from Common Cause examines the impact of the recent redistricting cycle on Native American communities. “Stronger Together: Native Americans’ Fight for Fair Redistricting,” looks at the attempts to undermine the Native American vote through gerrymandering and how a number of them were foiled.
The report focuses particularly on Arizona, Alaska, South Dakota, Oregon, Minnesota, and New Mexico - states with some of the highest population share of Native Americans based on the 2020 Census. It highlights the...
The report focuses particularly on Arizona, Alaska, South Dakota, Oregon, Minnesota, and New Mexico - states with some of the highest population share of Native Americans based on the 2020 Census. It highlights the...
Press Release
ARIZONA: New Report Examines Redistricting Impact on Native American Communities Post-2020 Census
News Clip
PBS Wisconsin Here & Now (VIDEO): Jay Heck on ballot drop boxes and Wisconsin voters in 2024
Frederica Freyberg:
So in your mind, should Wisconsin voters expect to see the use of absentee ballot drop boxes for upcoming elections, from what you heard in oral arguments?
Jay Heck:
Well, if the oral arguments are any indication about what the court might do, I am very positive or have a very good positive feeling about what the outcome might be. You know, one thing it’s important to note is that we have had drop boxes in Wisconsin for a number of years and of course, most famously during 2020, in the...
So in your mind, should Wisconsin voters expect to see the use of absentee ballot drop boxes for upcoming elections, from what you heard in oral arguments?
Jay Heck:
Well, if the oral arguments are any indication about what the court might do, I am very positive or have a very good positive feeling about what the outcome might be. You know, one thing it’s important to note is that we have had drop boxes in Wisconsin for a number of years and of course, most famously during 2020, in the...
News Clip
PolitiFact: FALSE “Voter fraud investigations are being banned by Michigan lawmakers!”
Quentin Turner, executive director of Common Cause Michigan, a voting rights group, said recounts are handled by election administrators who lack the authority to investigate criminal fraud.
"Voter fraud is a crime and investigations into crime can only be done by law enforcement," Turner said.
"Voter fraud is a crime and investigations into crime can only be done by law enforcement," Turner said.
