Digital Democracy Activists
Join us in in the fight for information access for all.
The Digital Democracy Activist Program
The Common Cause Media and Democracy team hosts virtual Digital Democracy Activist (DDA) meetings Thursday Evenings at 8pm ET/ 7CT/ 5PT. DDA meetings are:
- non-partisan
- recorded
- and open to the public
Social media platforms have abandoned their duty to moderate inaccurate content about our elections. To meet this moment, we need regular democracy-minded people to take action to defend their communities from election disinformation.
From sharing election information to investigating bad actors- there are actions we can all take to keep voters informed!
Meetings feature digital literacy education and actions to take alongside our community of civic minded activists. Tech support is available at every meeting for those who need support navigating our activist tools. We encourage anyone interested in taking an active role in improving access to election information to join and learn along with us!
Information access is a democracy issue. 1 in 5 Americans live in information gaps, where they are vulnerable to lies about our democratic process. Tech advancements alongside a widespread lack of platform willingness to address election lies pose a serious threat to voters. Instead of solely tackling election disinformation after it spreads to and harms our communities, we act to proactively defend our information ecosystems from election lies before they suppress voter confidence.
Many of us point to the 2016 election as the beginning of a culture of constant anxiety and distrust in both elections and our fellow Americans. Volunteer Monitor Kathy shared that election denial “has created a wedge in our family that makes it very difficult to talk about what really matters to the family and the country” Instead of hopelessly watching as election lies spread to their community members, activists can make a real difference.
We are all connected by a deep concern for the current state of our democracy and information ecosystems.
Every election since 2016, Common Cause volunteer activists have been leading the grassroots fight against cyber suppression funded by Dark Money. Our non-partisan grassroots approach has proven to be effective in building widespread community resilience to anti-voter narratives. The DDA program has a lasting impact on the volunteers ability to recognize and confidently push back against cyber suppression.
Do your part to stop the spread of election disinformation this holiday season
All over the country, trusted messengers are planning to have post-election conversations with loved ones using our tried and tested method for verifying claims.
Why? Because conversations with friends and family are impactful and long lasting.
Talking to friends and family is the most effective way to stop the harm caused by election lies. These conversations may not be easy, but there is too much at stake to skip them. As trusted messengers we can empower our loved ones against bad actors looking to divide and distract for their own personal gain.
You can be the one to empower your community with the digital literacy skills necessary to be informed participants in a modern democracy.
Are you prepared to be a trusted messenger?
Bad actors are using disinformation to sow distrust in our elections and spread fear around voting – but right now, you can help be part of the solution.
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Complete the Anti-Disinformation Training
Complete the Self Paced Training Here
Learn to recognize and combat election disinformation meant to confuse and harm voters. -
Join the Action Team Slack
Sign Up Already a Member? Log in
Access tools, get support from trained activists, and take action in community with over 10,000 activists across the country. - Sign up for a shift!
The Pre-Election week of action is full of virtual events happening both live on zoom and on your own time in the Action Team Slack.
Find our calendar at the top of the page.
Digital Democracy Action Directory
Recognize and Stop Disinformation
- Report Election Lies to our tip Line at www.Reportdisinfo.org
- Verify a Claim about Our Elections: https://www.politifact.com/
- Verify Voting instructions: Your state’s secretary of state website (make sure it ends with .gov)
- Find out who represents you- https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative
- See pending voting and elections legislation in states- https://tracker.votingrightslab.org/pending/search
- Election Date Calendar- https://ballotpedia.org/Elections_calendar
- Verify how voting works in your county- https://verifiedvoting.org
Share Election Information
- Post Election Information https://electiontruths.softr.app/
- Have productive conversations with Friends and Family about election lies. https://youtu.be/gCPaCr8pcjM?si=Ztp_MgSQ31EUn9r8
Defend Your Digital Civil Rights
File a Consumer Complaint to the FCC
- Web https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us
- Phone 1-888-225-5322
Learn more about the fight for information access
California Campaign
Los Angeles Fair Redistricting
Michigan Legislation
Michigan Needs the National Popular Vote
Legislation
Fair Representation for D.C.
Legislation
The CLEAN Act
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Common Cause?
Common Cause is a non-partisan grassroots organization that has been holding power accountable as the people’s lobby since 1970. We believe that Democracy as the people’s right to choose their government is our common cause for a better future for all.
How Old Do You Have to Be To Participate?
DDA meetings are considered to be rated PG-13. We encourage anyone over 13 to participate in DDA actions and meetings if they are interested in using technology to get civically engaged.
However, Social Media Monitoring is restricted to those 18+ due to the subject matter being elections and disinformation, some content found on social media while monitoring may contain violent imagery/ rhetoric and mature themes.
If you are interested in hosting anti/disinformation events geared toward young/ newly eligible voters, or have any questions contact us at grassroots@commoncause.org
Can I invite my org/ group to attend these meetings?
Yes! Digital Democracy Meetings and Tools are created to be shared with anyone who would like to include elements of the fight for information in their programming. Feel free to promote our event on your organization’s mobilize page, share the sign up link on social media or with your email lists. If you are directing folks to a DDA meeting consider signing up to speak or support at a meeting, we would love to hear from your group why this work impacts your effort. Reach out at grassroots@commoncause.org.
The Media and Democracy Team
Raelyn Roberson
Media and Democracy Campaigner