Friend, I want to take a moment and reflect on where we are as a nation and where Common Cause goes from here.
We’ve just witnessed an extraordinary election -- where our efforts to make sure every eligible voter can cast their ballot safely and securely were absolutely critical.
Voters faced unprecedented threats this year: not just a global pandemic, but a president who did all he could to suppress people’s right to vote safely -- spreading disinformation, sabotaging the U.S. Postal Service to block vote-by-mail, and recruiting partisan operatives to intimidate voters at the polls. And, voters faced other obstacles -- partisan dirty tricks, racist voting restrictions, and an underfunded election system -- that they’ve had to contend with for decades.
But despite all, democracy prevailed. Thanks to you, we built an absolutely unmatched nonpartisan Election Protection effort -- recruiting thousands of volunteers and mobilizing our state leaders to protect voters in every state. We truly couldn’t have made it happen if thousands of Common Cause members like you hadn’t gone above and beyond.
So, despite all of the severe challenges, voters overcame obstacles to ensure their voices would be heard. And despite a nationwide pandemic, we saw record turnout -- with more than 140 million Americans voting by mail or safely in person. Now, the peaceful transfer of power must commence.
This could not have happened without you, and today, I am extremely grateful for your hard work.
But Friend, our work is far from finished. Here is what we will prioritize in the coming weeks and months.
First and foremost, President Trump has not, as of right now, conceded or said he will respect the result of the election. But this is one fact he can’t contest -- his term ends at noon on January 20th, 2021, and we'll swear in a new president.
Despite this, President Trump is still holding rallies, pushing conspiracy theories, threatening meritless lawsuits, and refusing to begin the transition process. And some of his appointees, like General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Emily Murphy, are following his lead -- she won’t let Biden’s transition team set up official email addresses, office spaces, or funding for salaries.
The peaceful transfer of power is foundational in our democracy -- and now, it may well be the final norm Common Cause must defend from Donald Trump. We’re closely monitoring all election litigation that comes from his campaign, and we are ready to intervene if needed.
Then, even if Trump does concede, we’ll have to watch out for any last-minute pardons, executive actions, or further efforts to sabotage the presidential transition. And after we do, we’ll have to continue our vital, ongoing work to leave a better democracy for the next generation.
In the short term, our Election Protection effort must continue, as voters in Georgia prepare for a January 5th runoff vote. With control of the U.S. Senate in the balance, it’s all the more vital that every voter has their say -- and Common Cause Georgia is planning its nonpartisan Election Protection strategy right now as we speak. (You can help support that work, if you’d like, by chipping in here.)
I also want to acknowledge that our work to fix the broken Electoral College just got a major boost -- as millions of Americans saw how clearly undemocratic it is for voters in just a few swing states to be the only ones with a voice in picking the president. With your continued support and engagement, we’ll keep working state by state to pass National Popular Vote and ensure the winner of the popular vote in future elections is the person who wins the presidency.
Looking ahead, our top legislative priorities for the 117th Congress are passing the For the People Act -- a comprehensive voting rights and campaign finance reform bill -- and restoring the full strength of the Voting Rights Act. We will also support the Protecting Our Democracy Act, a package of rule-of-law reforms to restore checks and balances, strengthen accountability, and boost transparency, including improved congressional oversight. We will do everything in our power to send these bills to President-elect Biden’s desk and get them signed into law. And, the 111 incoming members of Congress whose commitments we’ve secured through the Our Democracy candidate questionnaires in 2018 and 2020 will be our baseline of support.
We’ll also need to dig deep to repair the damage that President Trump has done to our institutions and our democracy. That means codifying into law many of the norms he flagrantly violated -- strengthening financial disclosure requirements for the executive branch, increasing congressional oversight, and adding safeguards so that no president can ever put themselves above the law. And, many of the issues that have come to the forefront in the past 4 years -- like systemic racism, the climate crisis, and economic inequality -- predate Trump’s presidency and will require our continued commitment to address.
No matter what part you played -- volunteering to protect voters, speaking out to demand a secure and safe election, financially supporting our work, or helping people in your community know their rights -- please know that we couldn’t have done what we did without you.
But Friend, the clearest lesson of the past four years is that we cannot take the integrity of our democracy for granted.
That’s why the new administration must prioritize creating a truly functional and inclusive democracy. There is important work to be done -- but none of it can happen without a government that is responsive and accountable to the people. Together, we will hold President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris to that standard.
We’ll be counting on your continued support and advocacy to see that through -- but after seeing how you and thousands of your fellow Common Causers have delivered over the past few months, I’m confident we’ll be successful.
In common cause,
Karen Hobert Flynn, President
and the team at Common Cause
