December 2023

👋 Hi! Today's newsletter is a 823-word, 3-minute read.

Sign up for more newsletters/emails here.

One of the many issues that impact our fellows and students across the country is the cost of higher education — and the lack of funding that some of their campuses receive from the government. Our fellows called on the government to fund Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and for campuses to assess the fees that they impose on students.  

Fees to apply, enroll, and even to have official transcripts are constantly increasing, making college less affordable for many young people. In some cases, government support through grants can help offset the fees universities have to impose on students. It is important that the government provide funds to HBCUs at the same level — if not higher — to remedy the historical underfunding. 

On November 7th, Common Cause HBCU Action Fellows hosted a Soar to the Polls event at North Carolina Central University. Common Cause fellows marched across campus with campus organizations and coalition partners, supporting both frequent and first time voters on their journey to the polls. Watch below to see Common Cause NC’s recap of the event. ⬇️

Through the work of our HBCU Student Action Alliance and our Student Action Alliance, we have built a base of hundreds of students across the country who believe in the importance of civic participation. Our students and campus organizers have trained nearly 100 students on democracy reform and holding their leaders accountable from campus to congress. Students received training at the annual HBCU Think Tank about the intersection of democracy reform and environmental justice, criminal justice, and more. Students who attend one of the 17 campuses where we have a campus organizing program received training on election protection, event planning, volunteer recruitment, mobilizing voters, and phonebanking.

From coast to coast, young people are building a movement to lower the voting age for local elections. The argument is simple: if 16- and 17-year-olds can have jobs, pay taxes, drive cars, donate to political campaigns, and more, why shouldn’t they be allowed to participate in our elections?

Cities and towns in California, Massachusetts, Maryland, Vermont, and elsewhere have passed local measures that allow eligible 16- and 17-year-old residents to vote. In Maryland, the movement has grown to five different cities, with new measures emerging each election cycle.  

In Massachusetts, major cities like Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville have all passed petitions to lower the voting age. Unfortunately, because of state preemption laws, those petitions are on an indefinite hold. Our friends at Common Cause Massachusetts are advocating for the EMPOWER Act next legislative session, which would allow these “home rule” petitions to go into effect.

After Nebraskans passed a ballot measure requiring voter identification in 2022, Common Cause Nebraska leaped into action to limit the harmful barriers that these kinds of laws impose on voters. Fortunately for Huskers, our team was successful in ensuring that student and tribal IDs are accepted at the polls, as well as expired documents as long as they meet the criteria of a qualifying ID. 

On the opposite side of the spectrum, analysis by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University showed that 37% of Michigan voters ages ​​18-29 turned out during the 2022 election. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson attributed this astonishing turnout to robust voter education efforts at colleges and universities.

 😊 Thank you for reading our last newsletter of the year. We wish you and your loved ones a safe and festive holiday season! Next step? Forward to your friends and invite them to sign up!