Hi Pamela,
Ahead of Giving Tuesday, I wanted to take a moment and tell you what our legal team at Common Cause has been fighting for this year. There's been so much noise and confusion in politics lately, but beneath all of that, we're doing the steady work of protecting your rights, step by step, case by case.
And Pamela, I hope you know this: none of this happens without people like you. Your support, your belief in fairness, your faith that our democracy is worth defending — that's what allows us to keep showing up in the rooms and courtrooms where your voice needs to be heard.
Here's where we've been this year:
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In Indiana, lawmakers passed a law that singled out naturalized citizens — people who've already proven their citizenship, registered, and voted — and forced them to "prove it again." We sued because that's not how equal treatment works in America. No voter should be singled out because of where they were born.
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In Nebraska, officials planned to hand over the personal information of every registered voter — including parts of Social Security and driver's license numbers — to the federal government. We stepped in immediately. Because of our lawsuit, that data is being protected while the case moves forward. We're fighting to make sure voters' private information stays private.
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In Minnesota and Pennsylvania, we intervened in similar efforts by the federal government to seize entire statewide voter files. Millions of people's data was at risk. We filed motions and briefs to push back, because trust in our elections depends on protecting the people who participate in them.
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In North Carolina, we've been fighting a mid-decade gerrymander pushed by Trump allies who attempted to redraw the maps early in the decade — something that would break apart Black communities and tilt elections for years. We sued because voters should pick their leaders, not the other way around.
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In Watauga County in North Carolina, we're helping students and local residents challenge county maps that weaken the voting power of the Boone and App State communities. Young people already face enough barriers to being heard — they don't need politicians drawing them out of influence.
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In Colorado, we filed ethics complaints after lawmakers accepted a lobbyist-funded retreat at a luxury Vail resort — a direct violation of the state's gift ban. The Independent Ethics Commission agreed with us and opened formal investigations. Ethics laws only matter if someone is willing to enforce them.
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And at the national level, we filed briefs in major Supreme Court cases to defend birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment, protect limits on coordinated campaign spending that keep big money in check, and stop attempts to let certain religious broadcasters operate as partisan political machines.
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During the recent federal shutdown, we also filed more than 50 ethics complaints after government agencies used taxpayer resources for partisan messaging. One agency even played a political video loop at TSA checkpoints nationwide. We challenged it right away because the government shouldn't be used as a tool to promote political propaganda.
Pamela, I know this is a lot. But I also know you understand why this work matters. These cases protect something very basic and very precious: the right of every person — no matter their age, background, or ZIP code — to have a voice in our democracy.
On Giving Tuesday, people all around the country choose what they want to stand behind. I wanted you to see clearly what you make possible: the quiet, steady, unglamorous work of defending our democracy where it matters most.
Thank you for being part of this fight,
— Team Common Cause
P.S. Strengthening this legal work is one of the most powerful ways to protect our democracy heading into 2026. Every case we take on is fueled by people who believe in fairness, accountability, and the promise of American democracy. We hope you'll consider chipping in to Common Cause in your state today >>>
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