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Online Voter Registration: The Administrative Advantage

Blog Post

Online Voter Registration: The Administrative Advantage

Most states – 39, plus the District of Columbia – now offer citizens the opportunity to register to vote online. From the state’s perspective, providing this opportunity makes good sense: it keeps voter rolls more accurate and up-to-date, it’s cheaper than the outdated paper-based method, it’s easier for elections officials to administer, and it can be done securely, thereby boosting confidence in our elections systems. There is widespread consensus that online voter registration (OVR) remains a nonpartisan reform without benefit to...
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    Texas special legislative session: Subverting democracy to advance voter suppression

    Press Release

    Texas special legislative session: Subverting democracy to advance voter suppression

    A special session of the Texas legislature began today and right away Republicans in leadership are showing a blatant disregard for the democratic process. 

    Omnibus voter suppression bills have been filed in both chambers. HB 3 and SB 1 are both highly complex 40+ page bills that were only posted within the last 24 hours.  

    Committee hearings in both chambers have been set for Saturday, at 8am in the House and at 11am in the Senate. If the bills are heard in order of posting in the House, it is highly likely...

    Common Cause Texas launches letter campaign to make sure Speaker Phelan sees viral poll watcher video

    Press Release

    Common Cause Texas launches letter campaign to make sure Speaker Phelan sees viral poll watcher video

    Last week, Common Cause Texas released this deeply alarming video in which we hear the presenter call for volunteer poll watchers who will have the "courage" to go from the predominantly Anglo Harris County suburbs to the Black and Brown communities in the urban core. 

    The video has now been viewed over 100k times on Twitter, and has been the focus of national news stories on NBC, CNN, the Washington Post and many others. 

    With SB 7 voted out of the state senate, and HB 6 voted out the house elections committee,...

    Newly Introduced SB7: Blatant Attack on Texans’ Voting Rights

    Press Release

    Newly Introduced SB7: Blatant Attack on Texans’ Voting Rights

    Last month, Governor Abbott designated “election integrity” an emergency item, allowing the legislature to prioritize bills within that topic. After weeks of vague reports of an omnibus bill being in the works - Senate Bill 7 was introduced late last night.

    Broken power grid a product of a broken democracy

    Blog Post

    Broken power grid a product of a broken democracy

    This hearing is a critical first step towards accountability but these problems will continue to harm our communities as long as we have a democratic system that bends policy in the direction of wealth and profit instead of the well-being of Texans

    Judge dismisses Republican effort to invalidate Texas drive-through ballots

    News Clip

    Judge dismisses Republican effort to invalidate Texas drive-through ballots

    And even though the court upheld drive-through voting, the confusion over the issue itself could disenfranchise voters, said Anthony Gutierrez – the executive director of Common Cause, a non-partisan organization dedicated to upholding democracy. He added that these challenges to voter accessibility can be successful in turning away new voters, even if the case is ultimately rejected.

    ‘Huge Victory for Texas Voters’: Federal Judge Rules in Favor of 127,000 Drive-Thru Ballots

    News Clip

    ‘Huge Victory for Texas Voters’: Federal Judge Rules in Favor of 127,000 Drive-Thru Ballots

    "Voter suppression doesn't get much more blatant than this outrageous attempt to invalidate the votes of nearly 127,000 Texans," said Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas, in response to the decision. "We hope this ruling eliminates some of the anxiety and confusion so many Houstonians were feeling. This should allow the election to be decided by Texas voters and not by a small group of people trying to disrupt our democracy through litigation, suppression and confusion."

    Common Cause Texas Looks to Bring Fairness to Redistricting

    News Clip

    Common Cause Texas Looks to Bring Fairness to Redistricting

    Five of the six Congress members representing Austin are Republicans, a striking revelation considering the city’s overwhelmingly liberal leanings (every City Council member is a Democrat, for example). That’s hardly an accident, says Anthony Gutierrez, executive director at Common Cause Texas, an organization dedicated to supporting free and fair elections. “Texas is one of the worst offenders when it comes to gerrymandering, and Austin is such a blatant example,” he says.

    Rise in Use of Ballot Drop Boxes Sparks Partisan Battles

    News Clip

    Rise in Use of Ballot Drop Boxes Sparks Partisan Battles

    Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has been accused of trying to stifle Democratic votes by issuing a directive limiting ballot drop boxes to one per county. That strikes some Democrats as an effort to make voting harder for residents of the state’s sprawling metropolises, which tend to vote Democratic. Harris County, home to Houston, has a population of more than 4.7 million people and covers 1,777 square miles.

    “I can’t think of any other reason to do this other than voter suppression,” said Anthony Gutierrez,...

    Texas AG Appeals Court Ruling Rejecting Governor’s Limits on Absentee Ballot Drop-Off Sites

    News Clip

    Texas AG Appeals Court Ruling Rejecting Governor’s Limits on Absentee Ballot Drop-Off Sites

    "Today's ruling is a relief to many Texans who qualify to vote absentee," Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas, said. "Most of these voters have disabilities and are elderly. With only one ballot return site per county, these voters would have faced challenges in travel that might have made it impossible for them to vote."

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