Common Cause’s national network provides update on state voting trends 

Вашингтон, округ Колумбия—This morning, a panel of Common Cause policy experts and state leaders briefed the media on the national landscape of voting and elections one week out from Election Day. The national panel gave an overview of the trends they see across the country while the state leaders described the conditions on the ground and what voters could expect to see on Election Day and the days following.

The leaders also described Common Cause’s work in coalition with other organizations to help every voter, regardless of party, exercise their freedom to vote through the nonpartisan Election Protection Program, the national 886-OUR-VOTE hotline, and the social media monitoring program. Each of these programs seeks to assist voters who have any issues or questions about casting a ballot.

In case you missed today’s media briefing, you can find the video link to the recording здесь.

Select quotes from the briefing, in order of speakers are below. 

Regarding the litigation on the freedom to vote-by-mail:
“If the 2020 election was about providing voters with more access to the ballot and ways to safely cast a ballot, then the 2022 election is about litigating those options. While it’s not unusual to see lawsuits from both sides of the aisle coming into an election, these lawsuits are really driven by the Big Lie and are meant to undermine people’s faith in the system, confuse voters, and suppress turnout by eliminating options for them. It’s a direct attack on the freedom to vote and it’s definitely intentional. The bright spot is how voters in states like Georgia are coming out in droves to make their voices heard well ahead of Election Day,” said Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections at Common Cause.

Regarding the proliferation of disinformation in the 2022 election:
«2020 election disinformation never left us and is continuing to drive conspiracy theories that undermine faith in the elections. That includes the mainstreaming of the Big Lie by candidates and partisan media sources. Our voter protection network is working to make sure voters know their rights, what’s accurate and true when it comes to voting and how to get help and information, including for voters who get the majority or entirety of their information about elections from social media,” said Jesse Littlewood, vice president of campaigns at Common Cause.

Regarding the expected delay in final election results:
“Pennsylvania is ground zero for the battle over the freedom to vote. The 2020 election deniers are on a mission, already planning to challenge the outcome of the election next week—but only if it doesn’t go their way. It takes time to count every vote fairly and accurately. And that’s exactly what we want with such important decisions on this year’s ballot—for every vote to be fairly and accurately counted. That’s proof our system is working—when every vote is counted regardless of what party we belong to, where we live, or how we voted,” said Khalif Ali, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania.

Regarding the surge in voter enthusiasm despite new anti-voter laws:
“While we’re hearing reports of problems, we are also getting just incredible volunteer enthusiasm. We’re seeing more and more people signing up, and we’re confident people are going to keep stepping up. They’re seeing these reports and they want to make sure their friends and neighbors don’t lose out on their right to make their voices heard at the polls,” said Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas.

Regarding record-breaking levels of early voting despite new laws that make it harder to vote:
“The people of Georgia are showing this country the power of the vote. Georgia voters are resilient, and that’s why we are showing up at the polls in record numbers this year to ensure that our democracy does not go backwards any further, but instead moves forward in a way where all our voices are heard,” said Aunna Dennis, executive director of Common Cause Georgia.

Regarding the need for greater education and support around vote-by-mail:
“Florida voters are facing some major challenges this year with new election laws in effect while many people are navigating disruption in their lives as a result of Hurricane Ian. But the good news is that many Floridians are casting their ballots with both in-person early voting and voting-by-mail underway. We are working with partners across the state to help voters navigate the challenges so everyone can have their voice heard at our nonpartisan election protection hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE,” said Amy Keith, program director of Common Cause Florida. 

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