Hi John,

You don’t usually hear from me, but I’m part of the legal team here at Common Cause and I wanted to take a moment to share what we’ve been working on.

Every day, we’re in the courts fighting to protect your voting rights and keep our democracy strong. And while we can’t win every case we take on, we always give it our all to make sure your voice is heard – even if it means going all the way to the Supreme Court.

Honestly, we couldn’t do any of this work without the support of members like you. You make it possible for us to stay in the fight, and so I wanted to tell you about some of the biggest legal battles we’ve tackled this year:

• In New York, we took legal action to make Donald Trump’s court transcripts from his hush money case public. Shortly after, the chief judge announced they would release the transcripts daily. Our advocacy helped ensure this historic case was conducted with transparency, delivering critical public access to counter misinformation.
• In Indiana, we secured fair representation in city governance. After decades of inaction, Common Cause Indiana went to court to push for the redrawing of city council districts in Anderson to ensure that voters received fair representation. This victory is a significant step toward ensuring that every voter in Indiana has a voice that counts, and we're continuing to fight for even more fair maps across the state.
• In Wisconsin, we took legal action to restore access to secure voter drop boxes. Common Cause Wisconsin took legal action to support overturning a 2022 decision that banned the use of drop boxes, which had been a vital tool for voters to return absentee ballots safely and on time. With elections increasingly impacted by delays in mail delivery, these drop boxes provided a crucial way for voters to ensure their ballots were counted. We’re working to restore this important access so that voters can participate more easily in the upcoming elections.
• In Georgia, we’ve been in the trenches fighting voter suppression efforts. Common Cause Georgia has taken legal action in several cases to block illegal voter purges, protect early voting, and ensure fair representation for all Georgians.
• In Nebraska, we stood up against an attempt to limit access to important government records. Common Cause Nebraska challenged the Attorney General’s claim that states are immune from third-party subpoenas which would have blocked public access to key information, threatening transparency and making it harder to hold officials accountable.
• In Illinois, we fought for police transparency and accountability. We took legal action supporting efforts to ensure that disciplinary proceedings for Chicago police officers accused of serious misconduct—and facing termination or long-term suspension—are open to the public. Transparency in these cases is crucial to holding the people in charge of keeping us safe accountable, and building trust within our communities.
• In Pennsylvania, we fought to ensure every eligible vote counted. After thousands of valid absentee ballots were wrongly rejected, Common Cause Pennsylvania took action to protect voters' rights. We challenged this decision in court alongside our allies, fighting against the use of a technicality to block access to the ballot for these voters.  

John, legal battles aren’t easy, and they certainly aren’t cheap. We’re fortunate to have amazing legal partners who often provide pro bono services, but they can’t do it all. Litigation costs are real, and we refuse to sit quietly while our democracy is under attack.

With Trump’s Project 2025 already laying the groundwork to dismantle voting rights and weaken our democracy, we need to be ready for whatever comes next. Common Cause is committed to fighting with everything we’ve got, and we hope to have you by our side every step of the way.

Thank you for standing with us,

Sylvia Albert, Democracy and Representation Policy Counsel
and the team at Common Cause

P.S. One of the best ways you can help right now is by ensuring we have the resources to fight back in court. Consider making a year-end gift to Common Cause Pennsylvania to help our state team build up the legal defense funds they'll need to take on any challenge >>>