John,

As the year comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on everything we’ve accomplished together — and to say thank you. None of it would have been possible without you.

This year, we ran our largest off-year election protection program ever, stepping up at a moment when our democracy faced unprecedented pressure. We protected voters, pushed back against disinformation, and learned critical lessons that will strengthen our work heading into 2026.

And we did all of this in a political environment unlike anything we’ve seen before. We watched Donald Trump and his GOP allies work to consolidate power, undermine long-standing checks and balances, and weaken the rights and freedoms that generations before us fought to secure.

But through every challenge, Common Cause members like you showed up — and because of you, we achieved victories that will protect our democracy for years to come.

Here are just some of the ways your support for Common Cause made a difference across the country this year:

We passed a landmark Voting Rights Act in Colorado. Colorado Common Cause led efforts to enact the first law in the nation to protect LGBTQ+ voters from discrimination, expand multilingual ballot access, and safeguard the rights of eligible voters in county jails. It’s one of the strongest state voting rights acts in the country — showing how states can lead the way in protecting every voter’s rights as national protections are under attack.

We won new voting access protections in Maryland. This year, Common Cause Maryland helped to successfully secure several important wins for Maryland voters, including legislation to increase language accessibility at the ballot box, strengthen the post-election audit process after each statewide election, and increase transparency requirements for scam political action committees (PACs).

We protected thousands of lawful votes in North Carolina. After a losing candidate tried to throw out tens of thousands of ballots from the 2024 state Supreme Court race, our People v. Griffin campaign mobilized communities across North Carolina. When the federal courts rejected his baseless challenge, he was forced to concede — proving once again that when the people stand together, every vote counts.

In Minnesota, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, Common Cause is defending voters’ privacy rights. As the Trump administration attempts to seize voter data from states, we’re taking them on in court. We even successfully stopped Nebraska from going along with his request after we filed a similar suit in that state.

We defended our Constitution in Massachusetts. After years of grassroots organizing by Common Cause Massachusetts, lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to rescind all of the state’s Article V convention calls — shutting down a dangerous effort to put our constitutional rights up for grabs. With this win, 17 states now have no convention calls on the books, bringing our opposition one step further from putting all our constitutional rights on the chopping block.

We expanded voting rights in New Mexico. Common Cause New Mexico helped pass legislation opening primary elections to hundreds of thousands of independent voters for the first time. This long-needed reform ensures more people can participate in the decisions that shape their communities.

We passed stronger AI protections for voters in California. Our team at California Common Cause helped pass the California AI Transparency Act, securing landmark protections that help voters distinguish real information from AI-generated disinformation in an increasingly chaotic online environment.

We protected the vote in 14 states. Our Election Protection volunteers — more than 530 strong — helped voters navigate confusing rule changes, disinformation, intimidation, and accessibility barriers. Together, we made sure every eligible voter in these states had the support they needed to cast a ballot.

John, this time last year, I wasn’t prepared to take any of these victories for granted.

They only happened because people like you took action — sending letters, showing up at hearings, volunteering, supporting our legal work, and standing firm in your belief that democracy belongs to all of us.

This year proved that even in a time of deep uncertainty, the power of organized people can overcome the power of organized money and STOP Donald Trump’s dreams of dictatorship.

So, as we prepare for legislative sessions across the country — and a 2026 election that will shape the future of our democracy — we know we’re entering this moment stronger because of you.

Thank you for everything you’ve done to protect and strengthen democracy this year.

With deep appreciation,

– The team at Common Cause

P.S. The most meaningful way to support democracy right now is at the state level, through organizations like Common Cause Pennsylvania that are doing the hard, local work every day. If you’re able, please consider chipping in today >>