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Many election laws and campaign practices are shaped at the local level, including how people vote for their city officials and the campaign contribution limits for those offices. California Common Cause recently completed a major study of these practices for all 482 cities in California.

Key findings of California Common Cause's 2016 Democracy Index report.

Voter participation in the United States is plummeting. In California, there is a widening gap between the number eligible voters and the number of voters who successfully cast a ballot. During the 2014 midterm elections, California set a record low for voter turnout in a regularly scheduled general election; only 42.2 percent of registered voters. In an effort to address waning civic participation, some states have adopted modern technology and procedures that make the voting process more streamlined and accessible to a wider audience of voters.

Dear Assemblymember Hernández, On behalf of California Common Cause and our members, I am writing with a letter of support for AB 277, which codifies the holding in Jauregui v. City of Palmdale (2014) 226 Cal.App.4th 781 that the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) applies to charter cities and counties.

Dear Senator Block, On behalf of California Common Cause and our members, I am writing with a letter of support for SB 589, which strengthens voting rights protections for individuals with disabilities and conservatees.

Dear Assemblymember Hernández, On behalf of California Common Cause and our members, I am writing with a letter of support for AB 254, which will require local elections to be held in June or November of odd or even-numbered years. By eliminating two possible local election dates, AB 254 creates additional opportunities for general law cities to consolidate their elections with higher-turnout state elections.