Friend, President Trump seems to be getting more and more desperate -- which means we must be ready for anything.
As the New York Times reported yesterday, his campaign has announced multiple lawsuits aimed at throwing out ballots or stopping vote counting early. [1] That's not right -- and Common Cause is prepared to fight back.
This is a critical moment, which is why I'm so glad that 3,162 supporters like you have already stepped up to fuel this effort. We're closely monitoring the situation in states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Michigan to make sure every ballot gets counted, period.
Friend, the President’s statements at 2:30 Wednesday morning were alarming. But regardless of what he says -- in our democracy, it’s the voters who decide the election winner, not candidates.
I’m writing to you to share our plan to make sure every eligible vote cast -- including every mail-in ballot -- is counted.
Make no mistake: the fact is that even after we mobilized thousands of Election Protection volunteers, and after fighting for months to ensure every voter had the option to cast their ballot safely and securely -- we now must also be prepared to fight back against partisan interference while the votes are tallied.
We still don’t have final results in most states, including swing states -- which is expected given the massive voter turnout coupled with the pandemic.
But President Trump has now falsely declared that he won the election, ignoring the millions of votes that have not yet been counted in many states. He also stated that he plans to take his case to the Supreme Court, and demand an early end to vote-counting.
To put it bluntly: I regret to inform you that Trump and the Republican party will file multiple new voting lawsuits in the coming days -- many of them targeted at tossing out or ignoring the legitimate ballots cast by eligible voters.
Common Cause is not in this fight to advocate for a particular candidate or outcome, but to make sure that every single ballot is counted fairly -- and that voters, not partisan political interference, decide the outcome of this election.
This marks a new -- but no less critical -- phase of our work to protect the 2020 election. President Trump is now trying to exploit a “delay” in counting to demand a premature election call -- potentially throwing out millions of legitimate ballots.
That’s why I’m rushing you this message to let you know that Common Cause is ready to defend the simple principle that every ballot cast must be counted, period.
Friend, it’s up to you and me to defend the very integrity of American democracy. And -- if Trump has decided that endless litigation is the only way to save his presidency -- we can’t rule out any possibility of what he and his partisan allies will try to do.
We’ve already had to contend with a months-long, cynical voter suppression and disinformation campaign: first against mail-in voting, coupled with the deliberate, partisan sabotage of the Postal Service -- and now, Trump declaring himself the election winner before the votes are counted.
Remember that all year, experts have warned that it’s unlikely we’d get full results on Election Night for a host of legitimate reasons. Sadly, this creates an opening for last-ditch legal efforts to block votes from being counted… steal the election… and sabotage our democracy.
We must not let it happen. Despite the president’s false complaints, there’s nothing wrong with taking time to count the votes before announcing the results. It’s the predictable and legitimate result of conducting our election largely by mail and giving states the time they need to count every ballot.
And personally, I believe that our democracy -- and our right to free, fair, and secure elections -- are more important than partisan posturing, or the media’s profit-driven haste to declare a winner. And I know you share this same belief.
Our Litigation Team is ready to fight in court wherever we’re needed -- so we can make sure EVERY ballot cast by an eligible voter is counted fairly. And, even as I write you, our Grassroots Action Teams are getting in touch with voters -- to make sure that they take any necessary steps to ensure the mail-in and provisional ballots they cast are tallied.
Plus, we’ve prepared our teams wherever we think voting litigation might be likely -- including in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Georgia. We stand ready to rally in defense of one of the foundations of our democracy: the right of every eligible voter to have their voice heard and their ballot counted.
We’re in the midst of what may be one of the most important weeks in Common Cause’s 50-year history -- which is why I’m asking you to step up today with an Emergency Contribution that’ll enable us to fight on every front and make sure that no eligible voter’s ballot goes uncounted.
Your contribution will make double the usual impact -- thanks to the generous offer of one of your fellow Common Cause supporters, who will match your Emergency Contribution dollar for dollar.
That’s right. Your Emergency Contribution will be doubled. Your $50 will become $100. Your contribution of $100 will become $200. Whatever you can give will become TWICE AS MUCH to protect voters. Can I count on your support?
Friend, I fear American democracy is now entering one of the most tumultuous periods it has ever faced -- and I am not exaggerating one bit when I say that each and every one of us will help determine our nation’s future by the actions we take in the coming days.
Common Cause will not stand by in silence while American democracy is corrupted or dismantled. Together, we will do what it takes to ensure that our democracy survives for the next generation.
And after seeing how you and thousands of your fellow Common Causers have delivered over the past few months, I’m confident we’re up to the challenge.
In common cause,
Karen Hobert Flynn, President
and the team at Common Cause
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/us/politics/trump-election-courts.html
