News Clips

“Conducting business behind closed doors is unacceptable,” Common Cause New York executive director Susan Lerner said. “Open your doors to the people. The people who live in congressional districts deserve a say in who will represent them.”

Gavin Geis, executive director for Common Cause Nebraska, said the current rules serve as a safeguard that ensures a balanced approach to redistricting, a process that has received heavy scrutiny across the country for over-politicization. "The removal of party registration as a factor in selecting committee members may lead to a lack of diversity in thought and perspective, resulting in skewed representation that doesn't accurately (represent) the political landscape of our state," Geis said.

Nearly half of the state lawmakers from Montgomery County and a quarter statewide were not elected before they were first seated, according to Common Cause Maryland, a watchdog group that advocates for voting rights and fair elections. Common Cause and some lawmakers aim to change the process during the three-month General Assembly session that opens on Jan. 10. A survey released in October by Common Cause Maryland found that 85% of the state’s residents favor a switch to a special elections system. “The General Assembly can’t continue to allow a handful of individuals to speak on behalf of thousands of voters,” said Joanne Antoine, executive director of Common Cause Maryland. “Letting another legislative session pass with no action continues to diminish the voice of the voters.”

The North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP, Common Cause North Carolina—an organization to protect voting rights, and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, filed the lawsuit accusing North Carolina’s state Senate, House, and board of elections of discriminatory gerrymandering. “In 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly redrew its state legislative and congressional plans to severely diminish the voting power of North Carolina’s Black voters,” the lawsuit stated. “The General Assembly achieved this by intentionally dismantling existing and longstanding Black opportunity districts and diluting Black voting power.” The lawsuit claims Black voters were purposefully targeted throughout the state, violating the Voting Rights Act and 14th and 15th amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

Common Cause Michigan welcomed the judges' decision, but urged that the commissioners be allowed to redraw the maps. "We're glad to see all voices protected in our democratic process, especially Black Michiganders who have often been intentionally left out," Common Cause Michigan Executive Director Quentin Turner said in a Friday statement. "Despite the redraw, we believe independent commissions, and not legislators, are the best way to achieve fair maps. The voters should always be able to choose their elected leaders — not the other way around."

Virginia Kase Solomón will be the next president and CEO of Common Cause. Currently CEO of the League of Women Voters, she will start her new role in February and will be the first Hispanic person to lead the democratic watchdog. She succeeds Karen Hobert Flynn, who died this spring after three decades with the organization.