Friend, as we all navigate the unknown of the COVID-19 experience together, I wanted you to know that we are sending our best wishes for your safety.
Although we’re all in diverse circumstances and dispersed around the nation, we’re all united as part of the caring Common Cause community.
I also wanted to let you know that while most staff and volunteers are working from home on phones or online, our teleworking network is extraordinarily active -- and, for good reason.
The reason for this uninterrupted activity in the middle of a pandemic is clear and simple: we must ensure a full and fair 2020 election.
Let me explain -- and report what we’re doing and why I need your help, if at all possible.
In the presidential primaries so far, we’ve gotten a preview of what voters will face if we don’t act -- long lines, not enough machines, and targeted disinformation to suppress votes.
AND NOW… the coronavirus pandemic has introduced new uncertainty into the 2020 election -- and we’ve had to immediately focus our elections work on helping election officials deal with this crisis.
This means… expanding vote-by-mail where possible... online registration... early voting... and other reforms we’ve championed that are even more important now.
We must also deal with the added poison of confusion and disinformation. We must take steps to ensure that we have monitoring and legal action at the ready to ensure that any changes to voting are made fairly and correctly -- keeping voters informed and making certain that nobody slips through the cracks.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: You and I must make certain that the outbreak of coronavirus does not become a pretext to postpone or cancel the general election.
Here’s the issue, Friend: this new reality has added major new demands on Common Cause’s resources -- at the same time as widespread economic disruption, with many of our members worried about their own finances.
I don’t mean to alarm you -- Common Cause isn’t in any danger of shutting our doors. Our team is dedicated, and our work is simply too important.
But even in this uncertainty, there are decisions we need to make and budget for right now about the shape and scale of our 2020 election work. And the amount of revenue we’re able to raise in the next few months will inform those critical decisions -- whether we’re able to scale up to protect voters from the new threats they’re facing, or whether we’ll have to start making cuts.
Many Americans are facing difficult financial circumstances -- and please only give if you’re able to afford it. But if you can, anything you can contribute will go a long way toward our work for fair elections -- which is more urgently needed than ever before.
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I know there’s a lot going on right now -- and every American’s top priority should be to make sure they and their families are safe and provided for. I’m sure that for most people, the election in November is the last thing on their minds.
But even as our nation faces the COVID-19 pandemic, we can’t let protecting democracy and maintaining fair elections fall by the wayside. In the coming months, the new disruptions we face are going to make our election work much more difficult -- but also more important.
We also know that in a climate of distress and confusion, vote suppressors will do their best to impair open and fair elections. That’s why we urgently need your help.
Common Cause has decades of experience with protecting voters under difficult circumstances -- natural disasters, computer failures, and everything in between.
So, while we’ve never seen anything like this, I’m confident that we’ll be able to find the best solutions to protect public health and maintain voter access. And if we can count on Common Cause members like you to step up with the resources it’ll take -- like we always have before -- I know we can get it done.
If you’re able to, please rush us your 2020 Voting Rights contribution -- and help make sure America’s elections are conducted freely and fairly, like voters deserve.
Please be safe. And thank you for being part of the Common Cause community at this difficult time.
Karen Hobert Flynn, President
and the team at Common Cause
