News Clips

“It is even more incumbent on us, particularly wearing our nonpartisan hat, to make sure that the election runs smoothly, because we know that folks are going to be looking carefully at the results in Pennsylvania,” said Suzanne Almeida of Common Cause PA, which is heading up the effort in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. “It's about making sure that every voter gets their ballot counted and their voice heard in our democracy,” said Izzy Bronstein, campaign manager with the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization Common Cause. “And that's really something we can all come together on.”

“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.”

Common Cause endorses Amendment One because “fairness” and “compromise” aren’t bad words. This referendum is at the heart of our mission to empower people to come together to find common solutions. Justice Ginsburg described the danger of partisan gerrymandering: “It’s drawing a map so people think, ‘Why bother voting? This is a secure Republican district or this is a secure Democratic district, so my vote doesn’t count.’ That’s not a good thing for democracy.” By shifting the power from politicians drawing maps behind closed doors to a public panel led by voters, you would send an unmistakable message to all Virginians: your voice matters. It’s time to put Virginia above party and self-interest. Vote yes on Amendment One.

Despite a consensus among experts that extending the safe harbor deadlines would help states avoid a constitutional crisis, Aaron Scherb, the legislative director at the nonpartisan ethics group Common Cause, said any change could hold “unintended consequences.” “We think, given the president’s previous remarks … it could be misconstrued by the president as Democrats trying to ‘rig’ the election,” he said. Scherb argued Congress could wait until after the election and then consider extending the deadlines.