Common Cause Education Fund

THE COMMON CAUSE EDUCATION FUND WORKS WITH COMMON CAUSE, A NONPARTISAN, GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO UPHOLDING THE CORE VALUES OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, WITH THE GOALS OF ENSURING OPEN, HONEST, AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT; PROMOTING EQUAL RIGHTS, OPPORTUNITY, AND REPRESENTATION FOR ALL; AND EMPOWERING ALL PEOPLE TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD AS EQUALS IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS. CCEF WORKS ACROSS FOUR MAJOR ISSUE AREAS: VOTING AND ELECTIONS; MONEY AND POLITICS; ETHICS, TRANSPARENCY, AND GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY; AND MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY.

VOTING & ELECTIONS UPDATED THE ARTICLE V CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION REPORT SHOWING THE MONEY SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS IN FAVOR OF CALLING A CONVENTION. FILED LAWSUITS AND AMICUS BRIEFS TO PROTECT THE FREEDOM TO VOTE IN MASSACHUSETTS, NEBRASKA, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, AND PENNSYLVANIA. MANAGED THE LARGEST NATIONAL ELECTION PROTECTION PROGRAM FOR THE 2022 MIDTERM ELECTION. THE PROGRAM EXPANDED THE NUMBER OF STATES IN THE PROGRAM AND PROVIDED SUPPORT TO ALL VOTERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN STATES WITH NEW VOTER SUPPRESSION LAWS. CREATED RESOURCES FOR HOW TO CREATE A BALLOT COUNTING OBSERVATION PROGRAM, DEPLOYED THE PROGRAM IN MULTIPLE COMMON CAUSE-STAFFED STATES, AND TRAINED MORE THAN 50 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ON HOW TO LAUNCH PROGRAMS IN THEIR STATES. DEVELOPED AND DISSEMINATED RESOURCES ON POLITICAL VIOLENCE AND RESPONSE TO PARTNERS ON THE ROUND. THE RESOURCES INCLUDED TRAINING ON BYSTANDER INTERVENTION/CONFLICT RESOLUTION, BEST PRACTICES FOR BUILDING A STATE RESPONSE PLAN, COMMUNICATING ABOUT POLITICAL VIOLENCE, MANAGING CRISIS, AND CONNECTIONS TO NATIONAL POLITICAL VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND RESPONSE EXPERTS. HOSTED 65 CAMPUS FELLOWS WHO WORKED TO INCREASED CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES IN CALIFORNIA, GEORGIA, MARYLAND, MISSISSIPPI, NORTH CAROLINA, AND TEXAS. WROTE AND PLACED FIVE OPINION EDITORIALS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN NATIONAL AND IN-STATE ONLINE AND PRINT PUBLICATIONS.

REDISTRICTING & REPRESENTATION BROUGHT SUCCESSFUL LAWSUITS TO STRIKE DOWN GERRYMANDERED MAPS IN NORTH CAROLINA AND BALTIMORE COUNTY, MARYLAND. ONE OF THOSE CASES, MOORE V HARPER WAS ACCEPTED FOR REVIEW BEFORE THE US SUPREME COURT AND HEARD IN THE NEW FISCAL YEAR. LED LITIGATION STRATEGY TO OPPOSE THE DANGEROUS INDEPENDENT STATE LEGISLATURE THEORY IN THE U.S. SUPREME COURT. THIS WORK INCLUDED WORKING WITH NEAL KATYAL TO PRESENT ORAL ARGUMENTS, ORGANIZING MULTIPLE TOWN HALLS AND PRESS CONFERENCES AROUND THE COUNTRY, ORGANIZING A RALLY ON THE STEPS OF THE SUPREME COURT, AND SUPPORTING THE ORGANIZING OF AMICUS BRIEFS. COMMON CAUSE WAS INVOLVED IN LITIGATION RESULTING IN FAIRER MAPS IN COLORADO, MINNESOTA, NEW YORK, AND PENNSYLVANIA. CONTINUING LITIGATION OVER GERRYMANDERED MAPS IN FLORIDA, GEORGIA, AND TEXAS. LED THE CHARGE COALITION OF NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (TRADITIONALLY MARGINALIZED) RESPONSIBLE FOR TRAINING MORE THAN 2,000 PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS. THE COALITION DEVELOPED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS IN 13 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. SUPPORTED 30 STATE REDISTRICTING CAMPAIGNS, PROVIDING POLICY EXPERTISE, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, AND COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA HELP. PROVIDED FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT, INCLUDING SUPPORTING X COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS SERVING UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. GENERATED AN EXTENSIVE NUMBER OF NEWS STORIES AND PUBLISHED OP-EDS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF AN ACCURATE CENSUS COUNT AND FAIR MAPS IN OUTLETS ACROSS THE COUNTRIES.

MONEY IN POLITICS & ETHICS DEVELOPED A REPORT TRACING THE MONEY SPENT IN CAMPAIGNS FOR SHERIFF ACROSS THE COUNTRY, SHOWING HOW IT LEADS TO THE PROLIFERATION OF MASS INCARCERATION. THE REPORT IDENTIFIED MORE THAN $6 MILLION THAT CREATE POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. IN NEW MEXICO, COMMON CAUSE FILED A SUCCESSFUL AMICUS THAT LED TO A LANDMARK VICTORYFOR THE FIRST TIME IN 150 YEARS, A COURT DISQUALIFIED A PUBLIC OFFICIAL FROM HOLDING OFFICE UNDER SECTION 3 OF THE 14TH AMENDMENT WHEN JUDGE FRANCIS MATTHEWS REMOVED INSURRECTIONIST COUY GRIFFIN FROM HIS POSITION AS AN OTERO COUNTY COMMISSIONER. IN OHIO, COMMON CAUSE CREATED THE JUDGE THE ADS CAMPAIGN, A PROJECT THAT HELPED EDUCATE VOTERS ON THE CAMPAIGN SPENDING IN JUDICIAL RACES, ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE JUDICIARY, AND HOW TO MAKE INFORMED CHOICES.

MEDIA & DEMOCRACY AND OTHER PROGRAMSPRESSURED DIRECTTV AND VERIZON TO DROP ONE AMERICA NEWS NETWORK (OANN) NEWS CHANNEL. OANN IS A CABLE PROGRAM THAT AMPLIFIES HARMFUL ELECTION DISINFORMATION. LED MORE THAN 120 CIVIL RIGHTS, DEMOCRACY, AND PUBLIC INTEREST ORGANIZATIONS IN CALLING FOR MAJOR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO TAKE A SERIES OF ACTIONS TO COMBAT ELECTION DISINFORMATION. WROTE OP-EDS AND EDUCATED THE MEDIA ON MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY ISSUES INCLUDING MIS AND DISINFORMATION AND MEDIA CONSOLIDATION.