Friend, we’re in an absolutely pivotal moment -- because we’re facing a threat to representative democracy like you and I have never seen.
That’s because in a little more than a year from now, all 50 states will redraw their legislative district maps. And as we speak, partisan operatives are working around the clock on their three-step plan to rig our democracy:
- First, they’ll rig next year’s Census, underfunding it and stoking division and fear to keep millions of people -- especially poor people and immigrants -- from being counted.
- Next, they’ll use that skewed data to draw rigged districts, zig-zagging across states to give their preferred voters an outsize say and silence everybody else.
- Then, those unfair maps will let them lock in a decade-long political advantage -- winning legislative majorities with a minority of voters and using it to push their extreme agenda.
If we don’t get to work now -- well before the next round of redistricting -- we won’t be able to overcome the snowball effect of these multiple efforts to silence our friends and neighbors. Our opponents will be ready, so it’s absolutely critical that we are, too -- no matter what.
Here’s what that means: we’re fighting in Congress for full Census funding, but we’re also preparing a massive outreach campaign to fill the gap if necessary.
If we don’t get the Census the full funding it needs in the next few weeks, we’ll need to launch a major public education effort. It’s absolutely vital that everyone who lives here can be counted -- and that Trump’s efforts at intimidation and sabotage don’t silence any of our neighbors.
Plus, we’ll have to ensure that the next round of redistricting in 2021 proceeds fairly. That means passing as many reforms as we can in next year’s legislative sessions, then watchdogging the process to make sure politicians don’t abuse their power.
And, if they do, we need to be ready to go to court -- and use every tool in our toolbox to make sure politicians can’t silence voters for their own gain.
Friend, there is A LOT of work ahead of us -- and our opponents have been preparing for years. I’m asking every Common Cause member to step up to make sure we’re ready -- to speak up in statehouses, in court, and in the streets for fair representation.
EVERYTHING we’re able to do depends on the generosity and support of Common Cause members like you. Can we count on you to chip in today?
Or give another amount >>
Our response to these threats will determine what kind of democracy we leave for the next generation. And if you agree that fair representation is a principle worth fighting for, I’m glad to know we can count on you.
Thanks for all you do,
Keshia Morris, Census and Mass Incarceration Project Manager
and the team at Common Cause
