Media Center

High Court unanimously affirms independent redistricting, citizens' initiative process

A new report from Common Cause examines the impact of the recent redistricting cycle on Native American communities. “Stronger Together: Native Americans’ Fight for Fair Redistricting,” looks at the attempts to undermine the Native American vote through gerrymandering and how a number of them were foiled. The report focuses particularly on Arizona, Alaska, South Dakota, Oregon, Minnesota, and New Mexico - states with some of the highest population share of Native Americans based on the 2020 Census. It highlights the challenges and successes of the redistricting cycle from the perspective of Native community leaders and organizers, points to lessons learned, and offers a set of recommendations for the future.

Common Cause is urging every member of the U.S. House of Representatives to vote “no” when the so-called “Equal Representation Act” (H.R. 7109) is expected to be brought to the floor later this afternoon. The proposed legislation would impede the U.S Census Bureau from performing its constitutionally mandated responsibility to count the number of persons in the United States each ten years in the Census. The bill also ignores the Constitution.

“We’ve brought independent redistricting to communities big and small, and the outcome has consistently been fair maps for the voters” said Dan Vicuña, Common Cause Director of Redistricting & Representation.

With 2024 congressional races in full swing, Common Cause is again tracking the positions of every Member of Congress on issues vital to the health of our democracy. For the fifth cycle in a row, Members of the House and Senate have received letters from Common Cause asking them to co-sponsor and support up to ten democracy reform bills. The letters inform Members that their voting and co-sponsorship record will be published in Common Cause’s “Democracy Scorecard,” which will be distributed to the organization’s 1.5 million members, as well as to state and national media, during the lead-up to Election Day.

A three-judge panel for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia is allowing a case challenging Georgia’s racially gerrymandered congressional district map to move forward. The case, brought by several Georgia voters, Common Cause Georgia and the League of Women Voters of Georgia will go to trial in November.