Advancing Accountability, Democracy, and State Sovereignty
About Common Cause New York
Common Cause has been a nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog organization since 1970. We work to strengthen democracy by promoting government transparency, ethical accountability, and broad civic participation. As advocates for a more open and responsive government, we engage with elected officials, grassroots partners, and communities to advance system reforms that uphold fairness and integrity in New York State’s political process.
For the 2026 legislative session, our focus areas include:
- State Sovereignty- Defending New York’s right to self-governance and resisting federal overreach.
- Protect the Vote for the 2026 Elections- Strengthening voter access, fairness, and security.
- Transparency & Accountability- Ensuring open government, ethical standards, and responsible innovation.
State Sovereignty
- Outside Militias in New York State (S8533 Gounardes/A9347 Reyes)
Affirms New York’s constitutional authority over its National Guard, protecting against politically motivated federal deployment orders. This bill offers a common-sense, non-partisan affirmation of state sovereignty and military independence.
- New York Civil Rights Act (S8500 Myrie/A9076 Romero)
Creates a state-level civil rights framework to safeguard New Yorkers against federal abuses of power and discriminatory actions. The Act reinforces state responsibility to protect individual liberties where federal protections may be weakened.
- Protect Our Schools Act (S4735 Sepulveda/A5373 Cruz)
Prohibits immigration enforcement in school settings without a judicial warrant or order.
- Protect Sensitive Locations (S4121 Jackson/A8139 Lasher)
Prohibits civil arrests, such as those conducted by immigration authorities, within 1,000 feet of sensitive locations- including schools, hospitals, courthouses, and places of worship- unless supported by a judicial warrant or order.
We also support New York for All (S2235A Gounardes/A3506 Reyes)
Protect the Vote for the 2026 Elections
- Voter Challenges Reform (S3233 Kavanagh/A6354 Walker)
Modernizes outdated voter challenge laws to prevent voter intimidation and harassment at polling sites. The bill ensures fair and consistent standards for questioning voter eligibility while preserving election integrity.
- Poll Site Extender (S4602A Gounardes/A5846 Gibbs)
Provides remedies for disrupted voting times and locations during elections, directing the BOE to extend voting to account for disruptions that last more than 15 minutes. This bill protects voters, assures orderly election administration, and discourages attempts to disrupt polling place operations by providing a predictable and uniform response to disruptions.
- Protect Polling Places (A9346 Dinowitz/S8596 Harckham)
Prohibits civil arrests– such as those conducted by immigration authorities– of anyone going to, remaining at, or returning from a polling location.
- New York State Cyber Navigator Program (S8615 Gonzales)
Establishes a Cyber Navigator program to ensure that all county boards of elections have access to cybersecurity. Modeled after successful programs in Illinois and Michigan. Seeks to fill a gap provided by cutbacks in federal cybersecurity protections.
Transparency & Accountability
- Money in Politics Top 3 Disclosure (S8445 Fahy)
Requires independent expenditure groups to disclose their top three donors (each contributing $1,000+ annually) on all campaign-related advertisements, digital and print. This bill combats “dark money” by ensuring voters know who funds the messages influencing their choices.
- Post Candidate Financial Disclosures (S4857C Skoufis/A463B Paulin)
Requires the Joint Commission on Public Ethics to post online the financial disclosure filings it receives for candidates for statewide and state legislative offices.
- File All Lobbying Reports Electronically (S5843 Skoufis/A2330 McDonald)
Requires electronic filing of all lobbying filings with the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government, eliminating burdensome paper filings.
Why It Matters
These legislative priorities reflect Common Cause New York’s mission to ensure that government works for the people- not powerful interests. Through stronger transparency, ethical standards, and digital accountability, we can protect democracy and public trust across all levels of government.