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A political season marked by an epic Battle of the Airwaves and a disgraceful War on Voting is drawing to a merciful close, but behind the dust kicked up by all those attack ads, there is plenty at stake and compelling reasons for Americans to get out and vote, Common Cause said today.

“The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear Common Cause’s case challenging the constitutionality of the U.S. Senate’s filibuster rule is both shortsighted and ominous,” Common Cause President Miles Rapoport said today. “Instead of protecting debate, the 60-vote filibuster rule has shut down discussion on important legislation, from a living wage to addressing climate change.

The problems behind the long lines, clerical errors and misallocated resources that bedeviled the 2012 election remain unaddressed in many states as the 2014 campaign enters its final days, according to a new report from Common Cause.

Voters may need more than good intentions to make it to the polls according to social science research that indicates voters who make voting plans are more likely to follow through. And in a new report, Protecting the Vote in 2016: A Look at 11 Swing States, the nonpartisan democracy reformers at Common Cause demonstrate why, firing off warnings like flares into the night sky for voters in 11 swing states where new laws may catch some voters unaware.

Huge and wonderful (and unexpected) news for democracy, fairness and justice Thursday night! The United States Supreme Court voted 6 to 3 to block, for the upcoming November 4th election, the restrictive and extreme Wisconsin Voter photo ID law that was suddenly and erroneously reinstated by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit on September 12th!

Common Cause is honored to announce that Marc Caplan, for 20 years one of the key figures in the money and politics movement, will join Common Cause on October 13 as Senior Advisor on Democracy Issues and Coordinator of Money in Politics. In that role, Marc will work closely with the Democracy Initiative and work to create new partnerships on issues of money in politics and electoral reform.