ACLU Launches 2024 Election Push to Protect Abortion and Voting Rights

WASHINGTON — The American Civil Liberties Union announced it will spend a groundbreaking over $25 million during the 2024 election cycle aimed at safeguarding and advancing fundamental rights with a laser focus on protecting and expanding abortion and voting rights up and down the ballot.

The ACLU will urge voters to support key ballot measures that will protect abortion access and fair redistricting and, through the ACLU Voter Education Fund, educate voters in key states about the differences in candidates’ positions on important civil liberties and civil rights issues. The ACLU launched the ACLU Voter Education Fund, a federal PAC, to expand its commitment and resources to educating and mobilizing voters on these important issues. The ACLU and ACLU Voter Education Fund are non-partisan and do not support or oppose candidates for office. This nonpartisan approach allows the ACLU to use its trusted policy expertise to ensure voters know candidates’ positions on major issues for offices up and down the ballot in key states and understand how to vote for their rights.

The more than $25 million electoral program will include direct mail, digital ads, paid media, on-the-ground organizing, and support for ballot measure campaigns. Funds will also underwrite litigation and advocacy to ensure ballot access, fair election practices and voting rights. Additionally, the ACLU — which has affiliates in every state in the country — will deploy hundreds of volunteers in key states to support voter turnout efforts.

About launching this effort, ACLU Chief Political and Advocacy Officer Deirdre Schifeling said, “We stand at a precipice. This election will not be merely a choice between candidates, but a test of our fundamental civil liberties and civil rights. Abortion access and our democracy itself hang in the balance. While the Presidential race is critical, it’s not just the top of the ticket that matters — voters have the opportunity to vote for candidates who protect their rights up and down the ballot and we will make sure they have the information they need. We will use the full weight of our organization, our expertise, and our 6 million members and supporters to safeguard our rights.”

The ACLU’s 2024 election cycle engagement will include:

Reproductive Freedom: The ACLU and its affiliates will champion ballot measures to enshrine abortion rights into the Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, and New York state constitutions. These landmark measures would allow voters to protect the right to abortion and ensure people can make personal medical decisions during pregnancy, free from government interference.

Redistricting Reform: Recognizing the importance of fair electoral processes, the ACLU will support a key redistricting reform ballot measure in Ohio. By promoting transparency and fair representation, the measure would bolster democratic principles and protect the integrity of elections by moving the responsibility of drawing new districts into the hands of the people, rather than politicians.

State Supreme Courts: The ACLU Voter Education Fund will engage in state Supreme Court races in Michigan, Montana and Ohio, which often serve as the last line of defense against attacks on our civil liberties from abortion to fair representation in the redistricting process and more.

State Legislatures: The ACLU Voter Education Fund and ACLU affiliates will support long term change through securing pro-civil liberty majorities in state legislatures, including Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, North Carolina and Wisconsin. By electing leaders committed to defending fundamental freedoms such as access to gender affirming care, protecting and expanding voting access, and other key issues, we can help fully realize a democracy that works for all of us.

U.S. Senate: To advance federal protections for abortion, voting rights and other crucial freedoms, the ACLU Voter Education Fund will educate voters on key issue positions of Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate candidates. It is foundational to the success of our policy goals to have a pro-civil rights and liberties majority in the Senate.

This year’s election work builds on the ACLU’s long history of advocating and litigating for both abortion and voting rights. With the above election priorities in mind, the organization’s goal is to achieve an accountable, representative democracy by mobilizing voters to cast an informed vote to protect and expand civil rights and civil liberties.