Common Cause and the National Vote At Home Institute recommend that all states adopt reforms including same-day voter registration and early voting so that voters have sufficient and secure options to cast a ballot on or before Election Day.

Automatic voter registration, as a policy, has captured the attention of U.S. lawmakers and democracy advocates. Building on the legacy of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, AVR has revitalized the ideal that voting in America should be a right — one that our government guarantees and facilitates, while ensuring a safeguarded system that we can all have faith in.

Passage of the For the People Act (H.R. 1) through the U.S. House of Representatives was a historic victory for the people-led movement to create an American democracy where every voice is heard and every vote is counted. While work continues to move it through the Senate, many of the common-sense policies in the For the People Act are already in place and working in states across the country. This document shows where ten key reforms in the For the People Act have been passed and implemented at the state and local level.

The policy brief was co-authored by Common Cause, State Innovation Exchange (SiX), and The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Here you will find a selection of policy solutions, messaging guidance, and additional resources to support census preparation in your state. This brief is meant to serve as a starting point for thinking about census legislation and communication and is not meant to supersede direct discussions with local experts and advocates.

This report is part of Common Cause’s 2020 Candidate Watch project, through which Common Cause will watchdog compliance with and enforcement of important campaign finance laws in the 2020 presidential election.