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Groups Urge Census Changes to Accurately Count Prison Populations For Redistricting

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Groups Urge Census Changes to Accurately Count Prison Populations For Redistricting

Today, Common Cause and the Prison Policy Initiative urged the U.S. Census Bureau to change how it counts prison populations each decade. The Bureau’s use of differential privacy, the intentional infusion of inaccurate information into population data, creates unnecessary miscounts in data used by state and local officials for redistricting. In a letter to Director Robert L. Santos and other senior officials, the groups emphasized that the populations of correctional facilities are already publicly available and that differential privacy is...

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David Vance

National Media Strategist
dvance@commoncause.org
240-605-8600

Katie Scally

Communications Director
kscally@commoncause.org
408-205-1257

Ariana Marmolejo

Regional Communications Strategist (West)
amarmolejo@commoncause.org

Jennifer Garcia

Regional Communications Strategist (South)
jgarcia@commoncause.org

Kenny Colston

Regional Communications Strategist (Midwest)
kcolston@commoncause.org

Common Cause’s network of national and state democracy reform experts are frequent media commentators. To talk with one of our experts, please reach out to any member of the press team above.

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New York Times: G.O.P. Seeks to Empower Poll Watchers, Raising Intimidation Worries

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New York Times: G.O.P. Seeks to Empower Poll Watchers, Raising Intimidation Worries

In Texas, the leaked video of the Harris County Republican Party’s training, which was published by the voting rights group Common Cause, recalled a similar episode from the 2010 midterm elections.

That year, a Tea Party-affiliated group in Houston known as the King Street Patriots sent poll watchers to downtown polling locations. The flood of the mostly white observers into Black neighborhoods caused friction, and resurfaced not-too-distant memories when racial intimidation at the polls was commonplace in the South.

Politico: Delayed census data kicks off flood of redistricting lawsuits

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Politico: Delayed census data kicks off flood of redistricting lawsuits

"We will see a lot of lawsuits," said Kathay Feng, the national redistricting director at the good government group Common Cause, chuckling at a question about how much litigation there will be this redistricting cycle. Redistricting, she said, “is always a breeding ground for people who are discontent with the results.”

NBC Peacock “The Week” with Joshua Johnson (VIDEO): Did Trump’s Attempts to Alter the Census Result in an Undercount of Latinos?

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NBC Peacock “The Week” with Joshua Johnson (VIDEO): Did Trump’s Attempts to Alter the Census Result in an Undercount of Latinos?

Common Cause Redistricting & Representation Counsel Suzanne Almeida helps Joshua understand what's riding on the Census. And she explains why even though President Trump's attempts to keep undocumented people from being counted were unsuccessful, they may have left people confused or scared of answering.

NBC LX (VIDEO): Gerrymandering: How It Started and Why It’s a Bigger Problem Than Ever

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NBC LX (VIDEO): Gerrymandering: How It Started and Why It’s a Bigger Problem Than Ever

You’ve probably heard of gerrymandering, the term for when politicians redraw political districts to either consolidate power — or break up their opponents’ supporters. But you probably don’t know that it dates back to the earliest years of the country and was named after a district that looked like a salamander. And you also may not know how it directly affects your life. LX News host Nik Z breaks it down with Dan Vicuna of Common Cause.

The Guardian: The next major US voting rights fight is here – and Republicans are ahead

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The Guardian: The next major US voting rights fight is here – and Republicans are ahead

Kathay Feng, the national redistricting and representation director at Common Cause, a government watchdog group, warned that voting advocates would be closely monitoring for that kind of discrimination. Much of the America’s population growth over the last decade has come from non-white people.

“Our top priority is ensuring that states that are adding congressional seats recognize the population growth fueled by communities of color in the upcoming redistricting process,” Feng said in a statement.

News & Observer/Inside Sources: The path to restoring journalism as a pillar of our democracy

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News & Observer/Inside Sources: The path to restoring journalism as a pillar of our democracy

Dorothy Butler Gilliam, the first Black woman reporter at The Washington Post, said in 2019, “When journalists are being called ‘an enemy of the people,’ and Black women reporters, and other reporters, are being called names and treated with such disrespect, I think it’s just so important to remind people of the importance of the media.”

Marketplace (AUDIO): Voting rights issue sparks huge fundraising across political spectrum

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Marketplace (AUDIO): Voting rights issue sparks huge fundraising across political spectrum

Jay Riestenberg with Common Cause, which advocates for more accessible voting, is particularly concerned about conservative “secret donors” funding the push for more restrictive laws. 

“Well, the truth is, we’ll never really know because a lot of these groups do not disclose their spending or where their funding comes from,” Riestenberg said. “But I think we’re well in the area of over $100 million on both sides.”

CNN: Florida House passes controversial voting bill that would add new restrictions

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CNN: Florida House passes controversial voting bill that would add new restrictions

"SB 90 will limit voters' options when they make a choice in the three methods to cast a ballot. It will create hurdles to every step of voting by mail. It will reduce voters' access to ballot drop boxes. It will add to elections officials' workload and add to the need for voter education. It will make it more difficult for the nonpartisan Election Protection volunteer program to assist voters in understanding their rights in the voting process," Sylvia Albert of Common Cause said in a statement released following the House vote.

Associated Press: Fear, lack of funding hurt census in Sun Belt, advocates say

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Associated Press: Fear, lack of funding hurt census in Sun Belt, advocates say

During this census cycle, Rhode Island for the first time devoted $1.5 million in public and private money on census outreach efforts. That, along with the fact that Rhode Island hosted the only test run of the census in 2018, helped keep the head count in the public eye, said John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island.

“There was this constant drumbeat that we could lose our second seat,” Marion said.

The Hollywood Reporter: MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to Appear on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Despite Backlash

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The Hollywood Reporter: MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to Appear on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ Despite Backlash

On Tuesday, a letter was posted to the website Common Cause, the political watchdog group, addressed to host Jimmy Kimmel and the production team of the ABC series. The letter noted that Lindell has been "a leading voice in spreading lies and disinformation regarding the 2020 election results, including producing several videos claiming that the 2020 elections were hacked." Making a case that Lindell should not appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the letter stated: "We believe that having Mr. Lindell on your show will give him a bigger platform...

HuffPost: A Radical Right-Wing Dream To Rewrite The Constitution Is Close To Coming True

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HuffPost: A Radical Right-Wing Dream To Rewrite The Constitution Is Close To Coming True

“The First Amendment, the 14th Amendment, the 15th Amendment,” said Jay Riestenberg of Common Cause, a liberal group that campaigns against the calling of a convention. “Any civil rights, any constitutional protection in the Constitution could be up for grabs in this constitutional convention.” Common Cause and other groups have, over the last few years, focused their efforts on persuading states with longstanding convention resolutions to rescind them, with some success. Colorado’s state legislature in April voted to rescind all of...

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