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Voting & Elections 11.1.2020

Washington Post: Polling places are unable to avoid the politics of mask-wearing

Jay Heck, director of the voter-rights group Common Cause in Wisconsin, said fear of the virus is a huge issue heading into Election Day because coronavirus cases are spiking to an average of 4,500 new diagnoses a day in the state. President Trump’s campaigning there has drawn large crowds recently. “Trump and Pence have been coming continually, and their rallies are all not requiring people to wear masks,” he said. “[People might say,] Hey, if it’s okay to go see the president and vice president and not wear a mask, why should I have to wear one if I’m going to vote? That’s caused a lot of concern.”

Voting & Elections 10.31.2020

Wall Street Journal: Lawyers Prepare for Court Battles in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin

Pennsylvania voters have requested a record number of more than 3 million absentee ballots this year. The state chapter of Common Cause, a voting-rights advocacy group, has assigned 2,000 volunteers to voting sites in 11 counties that the group believes could have election-day problems. This army of poll watchers can funnel complaints to lawyers working with Common Cause, which has been involved in pre-election lawsuits over voting laws this year.

Voting & Elections 10.30.2020

TIME: How to Spot Disinformation Around Election Day—And What to Do About It

Since so many people are voting a new way this year, “some of this stuff doesn’t sound so crazy anymore,” says Jesse Littlewood, vice president of campaigns at the nonpartisan nonprofit Common Cause. “And we have unfortunately seen some bad actors weaponize that and say, ‘because of the coronavirus or because of social distancing, certain people need to vote after the election has concluded.’” Littlewood recommends consulting the nonpartisan National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS)’s website canivote.org for up-to-date information on your state’s rules. Littlewood cites a growing trend in mis- and disinformation calling into question the security of vote-by-mail systems. Despite false claims by President Donald Trump and others that vote-by-mail is prone to fraud, evidence shows that vote-by-mail is safe and secure, he stresses.

Voting & Elections 10.30.2020

NBC News: Trump asked supporters to watch the polls. How states are countering fears of intimidation.

Suzanne Almeida, the interim executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, said "the short answer is, we’re a little bit worried about everything." But she noted that challenged voters in Pennsylvania can get a witness to verify their identity, or vote with a provisional ballot and later prove their identity. She said she is part of a large coalition of election protection groups that will have 2,000 volunteers on the ground monitoring the polls and "roving teams" deployed to any problem areas. "We are really trying to plan for every eventuality," she said. "And hope that we need to use none of our contingency plans."

Voting & Elections 10.29.2020

Associated Press: Florida, butt of election jokes, believes system is ready

Liza McClenaghan, chair of Common Cause Florida, said the signature examiners are trained, “so it is not as random as people think. But it is not a court-of-law signature process.”

Voting & Elections 10.29.2020

ABC News: Long lines, broken machines: Why voters should not be too worried about some poll site snafus

In addition to poll workers, election offices and attorney general offices, Common Cause has a hotline, 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683), with staff who have direct lines to election officials, according to Sylvia Albert, the director of voting and elections for the non-partisan watchdog group Common Cause.. "There are tons of organizations and lawyers who are out there and we have your back," she said.

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