News Clips

Now, in states where ballot rejection data is publicly available, local election offices and non-partisan voter rights groups are enlisting volunteers to help with the curing process. According to Izzy Bronstein, a grassroots organizer with watchdog organization Common Cause who helps run its Election Protection volunteer coalition, volunteers can reach out to voters to let them know that their ballot might need curing, and then walk them through that process. ... Bronstein said volunteering for ballot cure phonebanking typically starts with  a 15-minute individualized training session, and then you’ll be ready to hop on a Zoom call with fellow volunteers, where everyone can pop in and ask questions as needed. She also said the dialer software connecting volunteers with voters who need their ballots cured should be familiar to anyone who’s phonebanked previously. “The difference is the script,” Bronstein said. “The process is just a little bit more complicated than a regular ‘Get Out the Vote!’ script.”

“We are disappointed that the court did not grant the relief we requested,” said Aunna Dennis, executive director for Common Cause Georgia . “It’s clear that the demand for these ballots will be extremely high in this election and will far exceed the statutory minimum of 10%.”

Aunna Dennis, executive director of the voter advocacy organization Common Cause Georgia, said what happened Monday was a "math problem." "A lot of people voted on the first day," and "Covid-19 precautions means each voter takes longer," Dennis said, adding that there were also reports of machine problems and a shortage of paper ballots that could be used as backups. "That needs to change," she said.

“There are a lot of eyes on the state that’s leading to a sense of increased voter anxiety,” said Suzanne Almeida, interim executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, a voting rights group that is involved in some of the litigation. “There’s a universe of potential litigation out there, and I would be very surprised if we don’t see at least some of it after Nov. 3.”

Anthony Gutierrez, the executive director of Common Cause Texas, said that "many" of the voters affected by the rule change rely on public transportation. “Many of the Texans who qualify to vote absentee have disabilities and are elderly, and they rely on public transportation,” Gutierrez said in a statement. “With only one drop-off site per county, these voters would face challenges in travel that might make it impossible for them to vote. The drop-off site limit will also make the one site in each country prone to lines and crowds, endangering voters’ health.”

“This is blatant voter suppression and yet another way the politicians in charge are putting barriers between Texans and the ballot box,” said Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas. “With last-minute changes and pending litigation, it is increasingly clear that confusion in Texas elections is part of a pattern of voter suppression.”