The ACLU Voter Education Fund
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We work with volunteers and supporters in every corner of the country to defend civil liberties and civil rights.
Launched in March 2024, the ACLU Voter Education Fund is a federal political action committee to inform and educate voters about what's at stake during the 2024 election cycle and beyond.
As a non-partisan organization protecting and defending civil liberties and civil rights for over 100 years, the ACLU does not endorse or oppose candidates — and this remains unchanged. However, the ACLU Voter Education Fund will ensure voters are aware of candidates’ positions on key issues so they can vote for their rights.
The ACLU was compelled to create this fund because of critical issues on the ballot this election — like abortion rights, voting rights and for the future of democracy. Our role is to protect these rights from politicians regardless of political party, and the ACLU Voter Education Fund will expand this crucial work by allowing us to defend rights in races up and down the ballot.
Races We're Engaged In
Georgia State Legislature
Michigan State Supreme Court
Michigan State Supreme Court
Ohio State Supreme Court
Wisconsin U.S. Senate Election
How the ACLU has helped voters elect candidates that will fight for our rights:
Kansas State Legislature
Following a resounding success in a ballot measure aimed at safeguarding abortion rights, the ACLU collaborated with the ACLU of Kansas to implement a program focusing on four state house seats in Johnson County. The goal was to maintain gubernatorial veto authority concerning civil liberties issues. All four seats were previously occupied by incumbents with anti-abortion stances, and the program emphasized significant policy distinctions among the candidates regarding abortion access and voting rights. On Election Day, three of these four candidates prevailed, marking the only instances in the state where seats transitioned from anti-civil rights incumbents to pro-civil rights.
Arizona, Minnesota, and Nevada Secretaries of State
In 2022, election deniers contested crucial battleground states nationwide, posing a tangible threat to the credibility and result of the 2024 presidential election. The ACLU invested in voter education for three prominent secretary of state races in Arizona, Minnesota, and Nevada. Our engagement encompassed direct mail, digital platforms, and tribal radio. The messages conveyed distinct differences between the candidates concerning election integrity and ballot access. Ultimately, all three election deniers faced defeat on Election Day.
Wisconsin State Supreme Court
In a significant triumph for reproductive freedom, in April 2023 a pro-abortion rights majority secured control of the Wisconsin state Supreme Court for the first time in 15 years. The ACLU spearheaded an extensive paid media campaign, accentuating the candidates' differing stances on abortion rights to inform voters about the critical issues in the election and spur them to vote. While state and national allies invested substantially in TV, mail, and digital platforms, the ACLU took a prominent role in dominating the radio market. Our advertisements constituted the largest portion of pro-civil rights radio. Additionally, we collaborated with the ACLU of Wisconsin's field organizing initiatives, enlisting volunteers from our national People Power list and deploying staff within the state.
Virginia State Legislature
The ACLU has made major strides in Virginia. In the special election for State Senate District 7 in early 2023, a pro-civil liberties candidate defeated anti-abortion rights candidate by a margin of 348 votes, blocking Governor Youngkin's proposed 15-week abortion ban. Given the narrow margin of victory, it's clear that the ACLU's digital advertising, phone outreach, and partners’ focus on voter turnout was crucial in securing this win. Later that year, the ACLU reached out to voters through direct mail and digital ads in five key Senate districts and six House districts to educate them about candidates' abortion stances. In November, voters delivered a decisive majority in the state Senate and flipped the House of Delegates, safeguarding reproductive freedom and thwarting attempts to impose abortion bans.
Join People Power
We work with volunteers and supporters in every corner of the country to defend civil liberties and civil rights.
Paid for by ACLU Voter Education Fund, 212-549-2500, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.