I hope you saw this important message earlier this month, John:
John, these next few weeks could be
some of the most important of the 2022 midterm election year.
Why? Because even though Election Day is months away, now is when
states finalize the voting districts they’ll be using this November.
But there’s a big problem, John. You see, without your immediate action, many of those districts will
be rigged – twisted to tear up communities, silence voters, and lock in
permanent partisan advantages.
This month, the Supreme Court greenlit a brazen racial gerrymander in
Alabama – temporarily reinstating the legislature’s proposed map that
intentionally packed as many Black voters as they could into a single
congressional district.
It’s an unfortunate ruling from the same Supreme Court that, in Rucho v. Common Cause,
decided that federal courts couldn’t do anything to defend Americans
against even the most extreme acts of partisan gerrymandering.
That’s why Common Cause’s litigation team has filed multiple anti-gerrymandering lawsuits this year in state courts
– where just this year we’ve already delivered major wins tossing out
unfair maps in states like North Carolina thanks to your support.
And just a few weeks ago, the Florida Supreme Court rejected an
unprecedented attempt by Gov. Ron DeSantis to find legal cover for his
attempts at further restricting the voice that Black Floridians have in
our democracy.
Let’s not forget how high the stakes are – how district lines are
drawn could make all the difference in who controls Congress and state
legislatures in 2023. Frighteningly, the winner of the midterm elections
could come down to who does a better job of manipulating district lines
That’s not how we decide things in a democracy, John, and Common Cause is your voice in court to STOP
these shameful attempts to silence voters.
Unfortunately, politicians have abused their control of redistricting this year to degrees we never thought possible. In state after state, they’ve drawn maps that we know – and have already proven – are against the law.
That means the next few weeks of litigation will have huge implications for the 2022 midterm elections. We’re ready to go all in – even though taking on these new legal fights will place a major strain on our limited resources.
But John, but when I think about what it would mean if we left our elections up to partisan political insiders, I know that we can’t give anything short of 100%. I know you understand the gravity of this problem more than most, and I’m hoping you’ll do whatever it takes to fight back.
Your action now will ensure Common Cause’s legal team is prepared for these high-profile, high-impact redistricting fights. Can you rush your contribution of $3 or more to our END Gerrymandering Legal Fund today?
Right now, the idea that every vote should count and every voice should matter has come under major attack from partisan operatives. Rather than trying to appeal to a majority of Americans, they’ve demonstrated they’d rather cheat to lock in permanent minority rule.
You and I can’t let that happen, John, and I’m glad to know you’re with us in this critical effort.
Thank you,
Suzanne Almeida, Redistricting and Representation Counsel
and the team at Common Cause
