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Voting & Elections 06.30.2021

Washington Post: This law helped the Capitol riot happen. So why does nobody want to change it?

“Updating the Electoral Count Act would be a great addition to that bill,” said Aaron Scherb, the director of legislative affairs at Common Cause, a good-government group instrumental in pushing the For the People Act. “Because presidential elections only occur every four years, there's kind of a natural ebb and flow of what people pay attention to or what problems rise up.” 

Voting & Elections 06.29.2021

USA Today: Eric Adams sees lead in New York City mayoral election narrow after first ranked choice voting tally

Without ranked choice, the city would likely be awaiting a runoff election that could cost millions, said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause/New York. Exit polling from Lerner's group also found that voters took advantage of the new system. More than 80% of voters ranked at least two candidates in the mayoral primary, and more than 40% ranked five candidates. Lerner also stressed the delay in results is not because of ranked voting but rather state laws protecting voters' rights around when absentee ballots can be counted and "curing" ballot defects. "Democracy takes time, and it's important that every vote counts. Accurate results are worth waiting for," she said.

Money & Influence 06.29.2021

International Business Times: Manhattan DA Won't Charge Trump, Organization Over 'Hush Money' Payments, Lawyer Says

“Trump masterminded this whole thing, and so far he’s walked. Everyone who carried out his dirty work here, Cohen and AMI, paid penalties and did prison time. It’s good news that the Federal Election Commission is holding the tabloid company AMI accountable for its illegal actions in the 2016 election,” Paul S. Ryan, Common Cause vice president for policy and litigation said in a statement following the FEC’s decision. “But it’s head-scratching that the mastermind of this criminal enterprise, Donald Trump, has still not been held accountable,” he added.

Money & Influence 06.29.2021

Roll Call: FEC reviewing rules on salaries, benefits for candidates

“The rules really have been stacked against working people running for office or people who might have been caregivers or those in between employment,” said Stephen Spaulding, senior counsel for public policy and government affairs at Common Cause. “If you were unemployed, a care-taker and your income was zero, you’re not entitled to a salary.”

Voting & Elections 06.26.2021

Salon: GOP using new laws to drive out local Democratic election officials — and not just in Georgia

"What's driving these efforts is anti-democratic sentiment," Sylvia Albert, executive director of the nonprofit good government group Common Cause, said in an interview with Salon. "These individuals attempted to overturn an election and they were unable to do so. So they are now attempting to change the rules so that next time they can overturn the will of the people." Depending on the state, "these individuals might now have the power to close polling stations or limit voting machine access," Albert warned. "This is part and parcel of a very anti-democratic push to make sure that people who vote against you don't get to vote and if they accidentally do, 'Don't worry, we'll throw out their votes.'"

Voting & Elections 06.25.2021

Philadelphia Inquirer: The political rhetoric over Pa. Republicans’ election bill obscures the truth: It’s complicated

“It’s complex, but it’s a smart, strategic bill,” said Khalif Ali, the head of Common Cause Pennsylvania, a good-government advocacy group opposed to the legislation. “It’s definitely the wolf in sheep’s clothing. There are some decent pieces in there that we can’t say honestly … that we would be against.” Ali spoke approvingly of increased poll worker pay and changes that would allow processing of mail ballots before Election Day — something elections officials have long requested and that could have prevented the days-long wait for results last fall. But he also decried signature verification for mail ballots and other provisions as making it harder for some people to vote.

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