Thread by @CommonCause

Last month, the US House passed #HR1, the #ForThePeople Act, which is the boldest piece of democracy reform legislation in decades.

Several key parts of the bill have already been tried and tested at the state & local level. Here is a look at 10 of them: commoncause.org/resource/the-f…

Citizen-funded elections have been passed across the country at both a statewide and municipal level. These laws have been proven to break down barriers for who can run for office and ensure candidates spend more time with everyday voters rather than raising money from big donors

Since #SCOTUS's wrongly decided Citizens United decision, many states have taken action to strengthen campaign finance disclosure laws to protect our right to know who is trying to influence our votes and elections. These new laws have often been passed with bipartisan support.

Speaking of #CitizensUnited, 19 states + Washington, DC have called on Congress to pass a new constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and similar decisions so Congress and the states can pass more commonsense money in politics reforms.

Creating secure and accessible elections was also a major part of #HR1, and that's exactly what automatic voter registration does. 17 states + DC have passed this innovative reform to modernize the voter registration process to ensure more citizens have the opportunity to vote!

Letting people register to vote on the same day they cast their ballot has also been tested and proven successful in many states. This reform increases access to the ballot box and provides a fail-safe for eligible voters who might have been kicked off the voting rolls.

Allowing people to fill out a voter registration form online is a no-brainer! That's why so many states have adopted this modernization reform, often with support from both Republicans and Democrats.

People are busy and Election Day always falls on a Tuesday when many people are working, in school, or can't make it to the polls. That's why so many states have expanded times to vote. Early voting & no-excuse absentee voting are good, commonsense ideas!

Disenfranchising formerly incarcerated individuals is on the decline. More and more states are recognizing that not only does the United States have a mass incarceration crisis, but that crisis also has an effect on voting rights and voter turnout.

If the 2016 election taught us anything, it's that election security is no joke (we never thought it was). While the good news is that many states use paper ballots or at least machines that produce paper records, several are still relying on hackable & unsecure voting machines.

Voters should pick their elected officials, not the other way around. States have different plans to combat gerrymandering & many have passed through people-led ballot initiatives. States like CA, AZ, & MI have the gold standard with independent citizens redistricting commissions

This is just a small snapshot of some of the incredible reforms in #HR1/the #ForThePeople Act and how the legislation could truly transform our democracy so every voice is heard & every vote is counted.

Read more about the bill here: commoncause.org/our-work/const…

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