I have updated my review of Common Cause Maryland to three stars. I agree with Common Cause Marylands positions on most issues and they serve an important function in representing voters on basic good government pro democracy issues. However, I believe they need to take a stronger position and call out political parties when they repeatedly reject bills in committee merely because the bill would hold the party more accountable to the voters. In addition Common Cause Marylands response to member requests for basic information is poor.Rejecting bills in committee outright is often a way for a legislature to kill bills that are nonpartisan in nature or that have the support of most voters but would raise accountability for the politicians if allowed a vote in the full legislature. Gerrymandering is a prime example. The vast majority of voters irrespective of party in Maryland and nationwide want gerrymandering to end. Unfortunately, the Maryland democratic party routinely kills every bill in committee that reduces their ability to partisan gerrymander. I live in Anne Arundel County, one of the worst gerrymandered counties in the country. In my opinion, there is no mechanism that disenfranchises voters as much as gerrymandering. If the politicians choose the voters with no constraints, fair elections currently are basically impossible. I am a retired federal economist have testified on numerous Maryland anti-gerrymandering bills in recent years. I am also a registered democrat but have many disagreements with the state democratic party on issues and its extreme partisan pro-gerrymandering is a prime example.I testified in person by webcam in favor of two anti-gerrymandering proposed by Delegate Malone this February. The League of Women Voters and myself were the only ones that testified in person other than Delegate Malone. Common Cause Maryland did not testify in person in committee. I saw today that they did testify in writing. I think on important issues it is important to testify in person as well when possible. It shows that the issue is very important to you and that you are taking a strong public stand on it. It also magnifies your stand and claim of nonpartisanship on issues.Because Common Cause Maryland did not testify on this anti-gerrymandering legislation, I decide to contact Common Cause Maryland for their record on testifying on anti-gerrymandering legislation proposed by Governor Hogan. They have not acknowledged my calls or emails. They only responded when I posted a negative review of the organization because of their nonresponse to me. I have thoroughly checked my email and phone records to verify their non response. A simple we have received your call and or email and will get back to you by a certain date would have sufficed. I did receive a basic legislative update letter in late April from the director but no direct response to my inquiry.Most states that have reduced or eliminated gerrymandering recently have done it through the state wide initiative procedure. Basically the initiative allows the voters to propose and get legislation on the ballot with certain constraints. Twenty nine other states have this important procedure to hold politicians accountable. Maryland does not. I have not seen Common Cause Maryland take a position on possible state wide initiative bills. I have not seen any Maryland bills proposing a state wide initiative procedure but if Common Cause Maryland backed a state wide initiative procedure, it would increase the likelihood of a state wide initiative bill being proposed in Maryland.I will give to Common Cause Maryland again this year but do wish they would take a stronger stance against gerrymandering in Maryland and do a better job of getting back to members with their basic requests. I rarely contact Common Cause Maryland for anything. I also would like the organization to call out the state democratic party in strong terms for its self-serving pro-gerrymandering stance in the state.

Text late at night to encourage mail-in voting.

Asked if they can count on me to vote early via text. Why only early voting?

Stop with the voting spam texts... jfc

Send a text addresses to someone else late at night, i tell them they got the wrong number , they tell me theyll remove my number from the list ... Then send another one ...

They are a very dedicated organization fighting for transparent democracy in Maryland.

They say they want money out of politics, then want to block a convention to keep money out of politics. SCAM!!

They claim theyre against money in politics, but fight against groups that want to get a constitutional amendment through the states.

Spam