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Ariana Marmolejo
Communications Strategist
amarmolejo@commoncause.org
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SCCOE Trustee Joe DiSalvo Used Public Resources to Solicit Campaign Contributions
Sean McMorris, a consultant with good government agency California Common Cause, says the state law “is clear that public resources cannot be used ‘for campaign activity, or personal or other purposes.’ While using a government email account for re-election fundraising might fall within the minimal use exception in the law, depending on the circumstances, it likely violates the letter and certainly the spirit of the law,” he said. “That said, many would agree that an elected official using their government email to fundraise for...
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California Common Cause Executive Director Jonathan Mehta Stein on their election protection program
This segment aired on the KTLA 5 Morning News on October 30, 2020.
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Tips to Make Last-Minute Voting a Breeze
"In California, a ballot can get to an elections office up to 17 days after Election Day and still be counted," Stein explained. "So just because you're close to Election Day, doesn't mean you have to abandon USPS as an option. You just have to make sure that your ballot is postmarked by Election Day."
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$220 million! On one California proposition fight? Here’s who’s spending big on the 2020 Election
Uber, Lyft and other tech companies have raised roughly $200 million on Proposition 22.
All the spending — especially after 2010’s Citizens United ruling gave big corporations and unions the right to spend huge sums — rubs some people the wrong way.
“So now you have a situation where, if money is speech, speech isn’t free,” said Sean McMorris of California Common Cause, an organization that has called for more transparency in elections. “You have more money, more speech.”
All the spending — especially after 2010’s Citizens United ruling gave big corporations and unions the right to spend huge sums — rubs some people the wrong way.
“So now you have a situation where, if money is speech, speech isn’t free,” said Sean McMorris of California Common Cause, an organization that has called for more transparency in elections. “You have more money, more speech.”
News Clip
$220 million! On one California proposition fight? Here’s who’s spending big on the 2020 Election
All the spending — especially after 2010’s Citizens United ruling gave big corporations and unions the right to spend huge sums — rubs some people the wrong way. “So now you have a situation where, if money is speech, speech isn’t free,” said Sean McMorris of California Common Cause, an organization that has called for more transparency in elections. “You have more money, more speech.”
Press Release
California Common Cause Launches Massive Election Protection Program to Help Voters During General Election
News Clip
The US Eliminated Nearly 21,000 Election Day Polling Locations for 2020
Common Cause California Executive Director Jonathan Mehta Stein, who helped negotiate the plan, told VICE News that he hoped the combination of expanded voting options would help tamp down voting lines on Election Day and before, “But we can’t be certain of that” until the election happens. “We’re concerned about voters who are displaced by the COVID pandemic and voters who are displaced because of the wildfires. There are a lots of people who’ve been pushed out of their homes in 2020,” said Stein.
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How California Officials Are Prepping for Potential Election Unrest
“We need people to understand that if it takes days or weeks to count ballots, that is a sign that we are doing everything we can to count every eligible vote," Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director of California Common Cause said. "It is not a sign of fraud or manipulation. It is democracy working. It is not a sign that democracy is broken.”
Press Release
Safe and Secure Use of Official Ballot Drop Boxes
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Local Political Parties Debate Which Voting Process Best
“A national investigation of vote by mail from 2000 to 2012 found 491 cases of mail vote fraud, which might sound like a lot until you realize that over that time period billions of votes were cast by mail successfully,” said Jonathan Meta Stein with Common Cause.
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New Frontier: How Gig Economy Titans Are Lobbying Their Customers
If you’ve ever downloaded the Uber, Lyft, Instacart, Postmates or Doordash apps or registered for their services, the companies possess your phone number, email and credit card info — not to mention your food preferences and travels.
Contact information alone is a goldmine for any election campaign, said Sean McMorris, a policy consultant for transparency watchdog Common Cause. In any other context, “a small nonprofit or the average Joe” behind a campaign would have to shell out thousands of dollars for such a list.
Contact information alone is a goldmine for any election campaign, said Sean McMorris, a policy consultant for transparency watchdog Common Cause. In any other context, “a small nonprofit or the average Joe” behind a campaign would have to shell out thousands of dollars for such a list.
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Palm Springs Man Receives Absentee Ballot Request from Ohio, Questions Voter Fraud
“There are systems in place to make sure that people don’t vote twice. If they’re given the opportunity to, they should absolutely not take it because they’ll be committing a felony,” said Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director for California Common Cause.
