Press Release
PG County Voters Deserve an Accessible Special Election
County Council must prioritize maximizing turnout
MD Press
Media Contacts
Dera Silvestre
East Regional Communications Strategist
dsilvestre@commoncause.org
617-807-4032
Joanne Antoine
Executive Director
jantoine@commoncause.org
443-906-0442
Press Release
Black Voters, Baltimore County NAACP, League of Women Voters, and Common Cause Sue to Defend Voting Rights in Redistricting
“Throughout this year’s redistricting process, we and residents across Baltimore County called on Council members to follow the law and put the people above politics. Instead, they chose to ignore the law at the expense of free and fair elections. The county’s voting districts don’t belong to politicians, they belong to the people. The people, specifically Black voters, have a right to have a voice in choosing their representatives and should not have to live a decade under an illegal map.”
Press Release
Baltimore County Council passes Fair Election Fund in bipartisan vote, including spending limits and increased qualifying thresholds
Baltimore County joins 5 other jurisdictions in Maryland in enacting campaign finance reform. Proponents of the program say it will serve as a counterweight to traditional campaign financing which depends on large and corporate donors.
Press Release
Maryland General Assembly Approves Gerrymandered Congressional Map
When the redistricting process is led by politicians, the maps will be drawn to benefit the politicians- and that’s exactly what state legislators have done today.
Press Release
Common Cause Announces Baltimore, MD Artist as Winner in 2021 “My Voice, My Art, Our Cause” Artivism Contest
The competition, designed by the Common Cause Student Action Alliance, invited youth ages 14-28 to raise their voices on any set of nine democracy issues, including access to voting, campaign finance reform, fighting against gerrymandering, and more.
Press Release
Common Cause Maryland Calls for Hybrid Redistricting Plan to Secure a Transparent, Accessible Process for Congressional District Drawing
Yesterday, the Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission held the final regional hearing in this year’s map drawing cycle before a special session begins to draw congressional district boundaries. The Commission heard public testimony, during which Common Cause Maryland outlined six recommendations for a hybrid redistricting plan that would make the remaining leg of the redistricting special session as transparent, participatory, and inclusive as possible.
Press Release
Baltimore County: Bill Implementing Question A Filed Today
Baltimore County has moved one step closer to implementing a Fair Election Fund, as voters directed in the November 2020 elections. Today, County Council President Julian Jones introduced legislation creating a small donor public campaign financing option.
Press Release
Maryland Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission Releases Draft Congressional Maps
Yesterday evening, the Maryland Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission released four draft Congressional maps. The Commission committed to releasing draft maps by November 15 after Common Cause Maryland and partners called for greater transparency in the map drawing process.
Press Release
EVENT Today: Common Cause Maryland to Call for New Redistricting Plan at Baltimore County Council Hearing
Today, Common Cause Maryland will urge the Baltimore County Council to update draft redistricting plans to more accurately reflect the county’s rapidly growing diversity at a virtual Councilmanic Redistricting Hearing at 6:00 p.m. ET. Common Cause will urge the council to create a second minority majority district to reflect the 2020 Census population data showing Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities make up 47 percent of Baltimore County.
Press Release
MoCo Candidates Learn About Public Election Fund Program for 2022 Elections
The Montgomery County Public Election Fund was the center of conversation during a forum last night hosted by Common Cause Maryland. Candidates and potential candidates for Montgomery County Executive and Montgomery County Council learned how to run a “people-powered campaign” rather than one driven by “Big Money” donor interests.
Press Release
Maryland’s 2022 Gubernatorial Race to feature Fair Campaign Financing Program
Next year’s race for Governor will feature at least one ticket choosing to use the Fair Campaign Financing program, which provides matching contributions for small-dollar political donations. Candidates have until February 22 to opt-in to the program and qualify for funding in the primary election.
Press Release
TODAY: Maryland Redistricting Committee to Hold Virtual Public Hearing
Today, the Maryland Legislative Advisory Redistricting Committee will hold a virtual public hearing at 3:00 p.m. The meeting will include an overview of the redistricting process and the state’s population data gathered from the 2020 Census. The public will be invited to provide testimony, during which Common Cause Maryland will advocate for fair maps that prioritize the interests of voters ahead the interests of any one political party or elected official.
Press Release
Maryland Grassroots Groups Urge State Board of Elections to Authorize More Federal Agencies to Register Voters
Everyone Votes Maryland and Demos today released a letter to state officials urging that the State Board of Elections authorize additional federal agencies to register voters.