Fifty years ago, John Gardner put out a newspaper ad describing a major problem: the rich and powerful special interests were organized, but the people were not. 

From this simple call to action, Common Cause was born, and Common Cause Maryland followed soon after. For 50 years, we have given life to the powerful idea that when we, the people come together, we can accomplish incredible things. 

In Maryland, we engage in strategic, community-centered advocacy, research, and outreach to ensure that your voice is heard. Some of our wins in the last 50 years include:

• The passage of Maryland’s “motor voter” law 
• The introduction of early in-person voting
• The implementation of some of the toughest lobbying laws in the nation
• The expansion of citizen-funded election programs

And our fight only continues. I’m excited about the work ahead in 2024. You can learn more about our legislative priorities and keep up with our progress here. 

Please know you are a critical part of our work for a better democracy – I’ll be counting on your action as we celebrate this milestone and look to the year ahead. 

Thanks for all you do,

Joanne Antoine, Executive Director
and the team at Common Cause Maryland