Dear Friend, the voting disasters we saw in multiple state primaries were completely avoidable. And, they’re a stark reminder of why the voter protection work of Common Cause is so important.

Just imagine being a voter in Georgia a few weeks ago. You wanted to follow social distancing guidelines, so you requested your absentee ballot weeks or even months in advance to vote by mail.

But one week goes by, then two, then three -- and your ballot never arrives. So first thing in the morning on Election Day, you go to your polling place -- after looking it up one more time, and good thing you did, because it was moved at the last minute to a new location.

Then, your polling place isn’t open when you get there. You wait in line for hours -- maybe a machine breaks, or there are too few poll workers -- or too many voters in the same boat as you. Then finally, after all of that, you might even be told you won’t be able to vote at all.

This is what happened to far, far too many voters this year, in state after state. Despite the best efforts of poll workers and volunteers, many eligible voters -- particularly in Black and Brown communities -- were left behind.

Friend, we absolutely cannot allow this to happen again in November.

That’s why I am extremely thankful for Common Cause advocates like you -- who are working every day to protect voters, hold vote suppressors accountable, and make sure every eligible American can be heard this year.

In many states that experienced problems -- particularly in Georgia and Wisconsin -- Common Cause’s state leaders were sounding the alarm months in advance, reiterating their warnings as the COVID-19 pandemic increased the chances of an Election Day meltdown.

Then, on Election Day we mobilized -- with volunteers working from the safety of their vehicles or the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline to identify voters in need of assistance. Plus, our social media monitoring team watchdogged for any efforts to discourage or confuse voters with online disinformation.

I’m proud that together, we helped thousands of voters navigate problems they shouldn’t have to face in a 21st century democracy -- and I’m glad we were there. But this is just a preview of what’s to come in November -- unless we immediately step up our efforts.

After all, we’re up against politicians and operatives who see more people voting as a threat to their power. And, they’re backed up by the RNC’s $20 million dollar voting litigation budget -- to block our efforts at reform, and defend vote suppression from legal challenges.

Common Cause is ready to fight back. We don’t have $20 million to spend in states like Georgia, Wisconsin, or Pennsylvania, or dozens of lawyers to fight it out in court. But fortunately, we do have YOU -- and 1.2 million other concerned Americans nationwide -- willing to fight for what they believe in.

Friend, what we will be able to accomplish depends on what we can raise by June 30th -- the end of our fiscal year. And given the rapidly rising threats of voter suppression, we have no choice but to dramatically scale up our Protect The Vote 2020 effort.

To put it bluntly, we need $200,000 in additional funding before June 30th -- the end of our fiscal year -- to do it. And to help meet this urgent need, one generous Common Cause supporter, who wishes to remain anonymous, has already contributed $100,000.

She did so in hopes that she could count on you and your fellow Common Cause members to make it the rest of the way. I believe this goal is within reach -- so please, if you're able to, can you chip in $3 or more today?

Yes, I'll Chip In $3

I know many of our members are facing difficult financial circumstances right now -- so please only give if you are able to. But if you can, please know you’ll be making an immediate impact benefiting our democracy.

Voting rights shouldn’t be a partisan issue. But instead of bringing people together to protect one of the cornerstones of society -- free and fair democratic elections -- President Trump and far too many others in his party are focused only on their own short-term political gain.

Common Cause won’t stand by and let that happen and I know you won’t either. We have decades of experience with protecting voters under difficult circumstances -- against natural disasters, computer failures, and everything in between.

So, while we’ve never seen anything like this pandemic, I’m confident we’ll be able to find the best solutions to stop these vote suppression schemes and protect every single voter’s right to be heard.

This means establishing or expanding vote-by-mail (or absentee voting) in every state where it’s viable for the November elections. It also means ensuring accessibility for people who choose not to vote by mail or can’t -- like people with disabilities or living on Native reservations -- by keeping sufficient in-person voting locations on Election Day, alongside reforms like early voting and online registration.

The truth is, Common Cause’s work to protect voters in 2020 has grown more necessary in the past few weeks. And because one generous member has already stepped up with $100,000, her contribution puts us just $100,000 away from hitting our ambitious goal of $200,000.

By reaching that goal we’ll be able to dramatically increase the number of voters we’re able to assist in November. Can you help get us there?

We’ve fought for half a century to protect every American’s right to vote -- and that fight has taken on new importance now. I’m glad we can continue to count on your support.

Thanks for all you do,

Karen Hobert Flynn, President
and the team at Common Cause