COVID-19

Today, Common Cause called on Congress to provide funding to safeguard key elements of our democracy in the next COVID-19 emergency supplemental funding bill. The letter urges every Member of Congress to provide significant funding in the stimulus package to backstop vital elements of our democracy and to ensure proper safeguards are put into place to oversee government disbursement of trillions of dollars in stimulus funds. In the face of the pandemic, Common Cause calls for funding to safeguard our elections, the Census, the U.S. Postal Service, access to broadband internet service, as well as local journalism and to fully staff and prioritize the CARES Act Congressional Oversight Commission.

“Threatening to prosecute Texans who simply want to vote without endangering themselves, their families or their neighbors is just cruel,” said Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause, a nonpartisan government watchdog group. “Everyone who works on voting rights or elections in Texas, including the secretary of state, has said this is a piece of law that is not clear, hence the litigation, and the judge made what we believe is the right call today.”

"I think this pandemic will force a national conversation about making sure that all eligible voters can have their voices heard," said Aaron Scherb, director of legislative affairs at the nonpartisan government watchdog Common Cause. "Hopefully some of these reforms won't be temporary ones but permanent ones that will last after this pandemic."

“If states around the country do not alter the current election procedures, they will be the next Wisconsin,” said Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections at the public interest watchdog group Common Cause. “This has now turned into a political fight.”

“As this becomes more partisan, each political party is going to go to its corner,” said Sylvia Albert, the director of voting and elections for Common Cause, a leading voting rights advocate. “But there’s a way to find the middle. “We have to get the ball moving now,” she added, “or Wisconsin is going to be what November looks like everywhere.”

“This is a state-by-state decision and we know there is not a one size fits all solution for every state,” said Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections for Common Cause. “With that said, we are encouraging states to act now to ensure that the November election is accessible, fair, and secure for all voters. That includes expanding existing vote by mail systems, but also other options such as early voting.” ... “Since vote by mail is a paper-based system, it cannot be hacked and is a great system for post-election audits to ensure the outcome of the election is correct,” Albert said.