Voting & Elections

Today, 44 organizations representing the National Voting in Prison Coalition sent a letter to members of the House of Representatives urging them to co-sponsor the Inclusive Democracy Act (IDA), legislation to end felony disenfranchisement in federal elections for individuals completing their sentence inside and outside of prison and jail. The IDA was introduced earlier this year by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-7). Currently, the IDA has 23 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and is awaiting a hearing.

We know that we can address the threat of AI-generated disinformation with common sense reforms. But, at the same time, we cannot rest on our laurels and expect the government to work everything out. We need to come together as informed and concerned citizens of this state to show our legislators that we want them to act now to ensure that this technology doesn’t negatively impact our democracy and elections.

Quentin Turner is executive director of the group Common Cause Michigan. He said having a full House can help get through policies, like a state Voting Rights Act. “I know this is something that’s been in the works for almost a year now. Perhaps even longer. And I know that, those working on it, they have a real strong motivation to try to get this done before recess. So, I expect that there’s going to be a lot of movement on that as well,” Turner said. He said he hopes to see other bills like government accountability and voting access legislation move forward as well.

"For the future of our commonwealth, we must take action to ensure that our districts are drawn transparently, fairly and in a way that is representative of the people of Pennsylvania," said Philip Hensley-Robin, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania.

Common Cause, a nonpartisan watchdog group, issued the warning Thursday in an amicus brief filed to the upcoming Supreme Court hearing that has brought special counsel Jack Smith’s election interference case to a standstill. “This Court is at serious risk of being perceived as attempting to influence the 2024 election in favor of Mr. Trump,” the group writes. “It should do everything possible now to avoid that impression, which would be highly detrimental to this Court’s reputation for neutrality and fairness. Time is of the essence.” Common Cause's 37-page brief condemns the nation’s highest court scheduling decisions they argue came to Trump’s legal rescue “against the public interest." Specifically, the group points to the Supreme Court’s speedy ruling on his 14th Amendment insurrectionist ban challenge — a ruling that allowed Trump to remain on Colorado’s ballot — and the scheduling of his presidential immunity hearing until April 25, the last day possible.

Katya Ehresman, voting rights program manager at Common Cause Texas, noted that some states reward schools that register students. For example, Tennessee acknowledges schools that reach a certain voter registration threshold, and Pennsylvania has a governor’s civic engagement award to celebrate schools that register 85% of eligible students to vote. Common Cause also recommends that the secretary of state’s office mail each school voter registration applications, instead of requiring schools to request them twice a year. Rep. Mary González, D-Clint, introduced legislation in 2021 that would require the secretary of state to mail the applications directly to all high schools, but the bill never got a hearing before the House Elections Committee.