Voting Rights

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR and plan to attend the RALLY FOR VOTING RIGHTS in La Crosse on Saturday, September 23 at 1:30 p.m. at Cameron Park.

(More details here). 

The freedom to vote is a core American value, giving each of us a say in the direction of our country and our community. But defending that freedom against the the Pence-Kobach commission’s threats to our rights depends on you -- your activism and your engagement. And by standing together, we’ve already made a real impact.That’s why I’m rushing you this update about our response to the Pence-Kobach “election integrity” commission, and how you can help fight back -- I hope you’ll read to the end. President Trump has claimed -- without evidence -- that millions of people voted illegally in 2016. Concerns only grew when Trump tried to back up his lies by putting notorious vote suppressor Kris Kobach in charge of a new commission that could pave the way for new, nationwide voting restrictions. Since then, the commission has tried to collect and store voters’ private information (an illegal practice we’re suing to end -- more on that below) and completely ignored what we can do to encourage more eligible Americans -- not fewer -- to participate in our democracy. Here’s what we’re doing to respond to the Pence-Kobach commission, and how you can help: Today, we are releasing “Flawed From The Start” -- our new report that exposes the Pence-Kobach commission’s failures -- and calls for a balanced and bipartisan serious effort to improve our election systems and ensure every eligible American has a voice. The report compares the Pence-Kobach commission’s flaws to previous bipartisan commissions that advanced positive, proactive reforms that better protected our right to vote and lowered barriers to participation. Please take a moment to read our report, then share it far and wide! Our lawsuit against the Pence-Kobach commission under the federal Privacy Act is still going strong -- and has the potential to end the Commission’s illegal data grab for good. You’ll be the first to hear of any new developments. You can read more here. We’re organizing actions for next Tuesday when the commission holds its next meeting, including a Facebook Live townhall that evening. We’ll use that energy to work with local election officials in our communities to expand voting rights and modernize our elections. Email us at grassroots@commoncause.org to get involved with these efforts! Finally, Common Cause members across the nation are continuing to speak out against the Pence-Kobach commission by submitting official public comments -- over 25,000 have already spoken out. You can read the comments that have already been submitted on the commission’s website -- or submit a comment of your own! The freedom to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, and every generation has struggled to defend and expand it. Now it’s our turn -- and I’m so glad to have you on our side for this fight. It takes every one of us to stand up for and defend our democracy, now more than ever. Allegra Chapman, Director of Voting and Elections, and the team at Common Cause