For months, the American people have been calling for national standards to protect our freedom to vote, ensure fair representation and increase transparency in political campaign spending. The Freedom to Vote Act is a result of that effort.
The bill addresses a number of priority items for American elections that CLC has consistently promoted. And importantly, nothing in the Freedom to Vote Act conflicts with existing voting rights provisions under federal law or limits the ability of states to provide greater protections for voters than those provided in this bill.
Thanks to CLC's recent settlement with the Yakima County Board of Commissioners, the Latino community in Yakima County, WA will have access to fair political representation for the next decade. This historic settlement agreement is the first voting rights victory under the Washington Voting Rights Act.
CLC’s Kedric Payne examines a troubling trend: multiple members of Congress from both major parties are not disclosing all of their sources of income, though they are legally required to report them. These violations of financial disclosure laws keep voters in the dark and betray our trust.
Wisconsin’s current state assembly district map is one of the most egregious gerrymanders ever seen. In August, we filed a redistricting challenge with Law Forward, Inc. and Stafford Rosenbaum LLP, urging the court to implement new and rightly apportioned maps before the next election.
In a recent conversation with CLC President Trevor Potter, Jonathan Rauch of the Brookings Institution shared that while there is no silver bullet to completely stop the spread of misinformation that has had an impact on our democratic process, there are things we can do to incentivize truth and improve transparency around our information landscape.
To make the promise of democracy real for us all, the U.S. should make registering to vote equal and more accessible. In honor of National Voter Registration Day on September 28, here are policies that the U.S. could adopt to make that possible.
Detroit-based voting rights advocate Danny Jones is leading the call to end the unjust and racist practice of prison gerrymandering in his state. Independent redistricting commissions and advocates can learn much from his work.
Last month, CLC filed an amicus brief in Colorado Union of Taxpayers, Inc. v. Jena Griswold, in support of Colorado voters’ right to know who is spending money to influence their votes in ballot measure elections.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is asking for public commentary on a request from CLC and the Center on Science & Technology Policy at Duke University to close the subvendor loophole. Closing this loophole would improve transparency in political campaigns and help stop secret spending.
The public comment period closes on October 4th. Visit our website to learn more and submit your comments now.
In February, CLC joined Common Cause Rhode Island and the League of Women Voters of Rhode Island in filing an amicus brief to support the state's efforts to increase transparency in regard to election spending.
We learned this week that the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals agrees with us and will uphold the law. This statement from U.S. Circuit Court Judge Bruce M. Selya recognizes the vital importance of transparency laws in upholding voters’ right to know who is trying to influence their vote.
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Campaign Legal Center is advancing democracy through law.
The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center is dedicated to advancing democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American’s rights to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process.
