Press Release
Common Cause Maryland Slams “Poison Pill” Amendment in Special Elections Bill
“For too long, legislative vacancies have been filled behind closed doors, leaving voters on the sidelines,” said Joanne Antoine, Common Cause’s Maryland.
MD Press
Media Contacts
Maya Majikas
Communications Strategist
mmajikas@commoncause.org
Joanne Antoine
Executive Director
jantoine@commoncause.org
443-906-0442
Press Release
Common Cause Announces Baltimore, MD Artist as Winner in 2021 “My Voice, My Art, Our Cause” Artivism Contest
The competition, designed by the Common Cause Student Action Alliance, invited youth ages 14-28 to raise their voices on any set of nine democracy issues, including access to voting, campaign finance reform, fighting against gerrymandering, and more.
Press Release
Common Cause Maryland Calls for Hybrid Redistricting Plan to Secure a Transparent, Accessible Process for Congressional District Drawing
Yesterday, the Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission held the final regional hearing in this year’s map drawing cycle before a special session begins to draw congressional district boundaries. The Commission heard public testimony, during which Common Cause Maryland outlined six recommendations for a hybrid redistricting plan that would make the remaining leg of the redistricting special session as transparent, participatory, and inclusive as possible.
Press Release
Baltimore County: Bill Implementing Question A Filed Today
Baltimore County has moved one step closer to implementing a Fair Election Fund, as voters directed in the November 2020 elections. Today, County Council President Julian Jones introduced legislation creating a small donor public campaign financing option.
Press Release
Maryland Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission Releases Draft Congressional Maps
Yesterday evening, the Maryland Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission released four draft Congressional maps. The Commission committed to releasing draft maps by November 15 after Common Cause Maryland and partners called for greater transparency in the map drawing process.
Press Release
EVENT Today: Common Cause Maryland to Call for New Redistricting Plan at Baltimore County Council Hearing
Today, Common Cause Maryland will urge the Baltimore County Council to update draft redistricting plans to more accurately reflect the county’s rapidly growing diversity at a virtual Councilmanic Redistricting Hearing at 6:00 p.m. ET. Common Cause will urge the council to create a second minority majority district to reflect the 2020 Census population data showing Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities make up 47 percent of Baltimore County.
Press Release
MoCo Candidates Learn About Public Election Fund Program for 2022 Elections
The Montgomery County Public Election Fund was the center of conversation during a forum last night hosted by Common Cause Maryland. Candidates and potential candidates for Montgomery County Executive and Montgomery County Council learned how to run a “people-powered campaign” rather than one driven by “Big Money” donor interests.
Press Release
Maryland’s 2022 Gubernatorial Race to feature Fair Campaign Financing Program
Next year’s race for Governor will feature at least one ticket choosing to use the Fair Campaign Financing program, which provides matching contributions for small-dollar political donations. Candidates have until February 22 to opt-in to the program and qualify for funding in the primary election.
Press Release
TODAY: Maryland Redistricting Committee to Hold Virtual Public Hearing
Today, the Maryland Legislative Advisory Redistricting Committee will hold a virtual public hearing at 3:00 p.m. The meeting will include an overview of the redistricting process and the state’s population data gathered from the 2020 Census. The public will be invited to provide testimony, during which Common Cause Maryland will advocate for fair maps that prioritize the interests of voters ahead the interests of any one political party or elected official.
Press Release
Maryland Grassroots Groups Urge State Board of Elections to Authorize More Federal Agencies to Register Voters
Everyone Votes Maryland and Demos today released a letter to state officials urging that the State Board of Elections authorize additional federal agencies to register voters.
Press Release
U.S. Census Bureau Releases 2020 Census Demographic Data to Kick Off Maryland Redistricting 2021
We urge the Redistricting Commissions to ensure the mapmaking process is fair, transparent, accessible, and inclusive – allowing for timely and meaningful public input throughout the entire process.
Press Release
Senate President Ferguson and House Speaker Jones Announce “Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission”
While the Senate President and the Speaker have announced plans to host twelve in-person and virtual town hall meetings, they have not stated whether the Commission will comply with Maryland’s Open Meeting Act or whether they will solicit, accept, and consider maps submitted by the public.
Press Release
Common Cause Maryland and League of Women Voters of Maryland call on the Citizens Redistricting Commission to Hold Separate Public Meeting for Baltimore City
We appreciate the Commission's commitment to ensuring Maryland’s line-drawing process centers community input, but are concerned the Central Region grouping may suppress the voices of Baltimore City residents.