FIRST: Steve Bannon said the quiet part out loud – he encouraged GOP states to gerrymander, amplified Trump’s misinformation about vote-by-mail, and called for ICE at polling places to intimidate voters. [1]

THEN: Trump went on record saying he regretted not sending the National Guard in to seize machines in swing states. [2]

NOW: We’re seeing these actions for the blaring red alarms they are and ramping our Election Protection program in preparation.  

If you’re unfamiliar, Election Protection is one of the most powerful things we do at Common Cause.

Every year, we field thousands of volunteers across the country to serve as nonpartisan poll monitors. They tap into our nationwide network of voting rights experts – who train them on the specific voting rules for their community and give them a direct line to our legal team so we can take swift action to solve any problems voters face.

Our Election Protection program runs from the first primary through early voting and Election Day until the last vote is counted. It’s a massive and resource-intensive operation that, I hope you will agree, we’ve decided we must massively expand before next year’s midterms.

It costs about $50 to train and place one additional Election Protection volunteer – so I'm asking you today if you will sponsor just one of these volunteers (or however many you can.)

For just $50, you will make an immediate, measurable impact on these uncertain voters – and ensure that we can live up to our ideal of a democracy where EVERY voice matters, no matter what. Can we count on your action today?

We appreciate your support,

The team at Common Cause

P.S. If you’re facing financial hardship or don’t want to receive fundraising emails from Common Cause, click here or reply to this email.

[1] https://www.mediamatters.org/steve-bannon/steve-bannon-just-laid-out-maga-media-playbook-subvert-midterms

[2] https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/us/trump-voting-machines-2020-election.html