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The Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com: Ohio’s redistricting process gets an ‘F’ from national group
“This redistricting cycle in Ohio provided a textbook example of the lengths elected officials will go to prioritize partisanship over fair representation for the public,” the report by Common Cause stated, adding that Republican lawmakers and redistricting commission members showed a “complete disregard... for the rule of law in Ohio.”
Found in: Common Cause
Omaha World-Herald: Nebraska rated a C+ for redistricting process by national group
Gavin Geis, director of Common Cause Nebraska, said a C+ is a fair grade for Nebraska. He said he believes Nebraska’s maps ended up pretty good, yet the redistricting process had issues with public access, transparency and politicization. Besides three public hearings across the state on the proposed maps, Geis said, it was difficult to get committee members to engage with public input. He said lawmakers largely ignored suggested maps proposed by community organizations. “Citizens’ work on this is why we had good maps,” said Geis, who contributed to the Nebraska aspect of the CHARGE report. The national Common Cause organization is one of groups involved with the coalition. Many of the states scoring better than Nebraska have independent groups that conduct or aid the redistricting process. Geis said the proper way to redraw political districts is to do so without elected officials, who have a clear stake in the outcome. Redistricting power won’t be something lawmakers give up willingly, Geis said, so a citizen-led ballot initiative would be the way to change Nebraska’s system. Such an initiative was attempted in 2020 but didn’t make it to the ballot — something Geis attributes to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Found in: Common Cause
50 State Report: Arizona Earns B- for Redistricting from Common Cause
Arizona scored above average nationally for a transparent and inclusive process, but still has room for improvement
Found in: Common Cause
Briefing Room with Ian Masters (AUDIO): Elon Musk’s X Now Monetizes Disinformation by Fake Journalists With Blue- Check Accounts Who Get Paid to Spread Lies
We examine the flood of disinformation about the war in Israel on Twitter or X since Elon Musk allows anyone to buy Blue-Check accounts previously restricted to journalists, politicians and business and world leaders which fake journalists can now use to spread outrageous lies that can be monetized depending on the millions they deceive. Joining us is Emma Steiner, the Information Accountability Project Manager at Common Cause where she leads efforts to protect voters from disinformation related to voting rights and democracy, and to help defend against lies that undermine the integrity of our elections.
Found in: Common Cause
HuffPost: Twitter’s Monetization For Blue-Check Accounts May Be Fueling Fake News On Israel-Palestine
Emma Steiner, the information accountability project manager at Common Cause, told HuffPost that Musk’s monetization program, combined with his new system for receiving “verified” badges, had encouraged misleading information. “The new verification system means that it’s almost impossible to discern real news from fake news on the platform now, especially since people are posting specifically to gain revenue for engagement,” Steiner said. “That creates some really perverse incentives for breaking news events.”
Found in: Common Cause
Wisconsin Public Radio: Redistricting activists speak out against GOP plan to redraw Wisconsin's political maps
Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause Wisconsin, argued the redistricting proposal lacked transparency and safeguards against a majority party power grab. "Broad bipartisan support and consensus must be attained for any nonpartisan redistricting plan to work (so) that it can be assured that it will have the trust and confidence of Wisconsin voters," he said. "Please pardon the voters of Wisconsin if they don't believe that, after 12 years of attacking, resisting and blocking any attempt or discussion of redistricting reform in the state Capitol, that Assembly Republicans have all of a sudden seen the light."
Found in: Common Cause
Associated Press: California governor vetoes bill requiring independent panels to draw local voting districts
“We’re frustrated, confused and deeply disappointed,” Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director of voting rights group California Common Cause, said Monday. He added: “We were hopeful that this was an opportunity for California to show the rest of the nation what it looks like to put gerrymandering behind us.” Had Newsom signed the measure, California could have become the first state to mandate redistricting commissions for local jurisdictions over certain sizes, said Dan Vicuna, national director of redistricting and representation for Common Cause.
Found in: Common Cause
Associated Press: Drop boxes have become key to election conspiracy theories. Two Democrats just fueled those claims
“It’s not the ballot boxes that are the problem,” said Cheri Quickmire, executive director of the voter advocacy group Common Cause in Connecticut. “In this particular case, it seems like the problem is the leadership of campaigns that permit that kind of activity, that has staff, that has campaign staff who ... would put ballots in big envelopes and stuff them into the ballot box.”