ACLU Allocates $25 Million to Influence Abortion and Voting-Rights Battles in 2024 Midterms

The American Civil Liberties Union announced a $25 million electoral program aimed at protecting abortion and voting-rights statutes in the 2024 U.S. midterm elections. The spending will be directed to referenda, state legislative contests, and state Supreme Court races in nine states—Montana, Kansas, Missouri, Virginia, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. The effort also includes backing “pro-civil-rights” Supreme Court candidates and incumbent Democratic secretaries of state in Nevada and Arizona, as well as financing state House races to block Republican supermajorities.

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The ACLU’s intensified political engagement began during President Donald Trump’s first term, when the organization entered federal elections and supported primary challenges to incumbent prosecutors. That period culminated in a 2020 Democratic-primary questionnaire that highlighted candidates’ positions on gender-affirming care, which the Trump campaign later used in attack ads. The current midterm strategy reflects the ACLU’s view that “the next generation of battles over abortion, voting rights and democracy will not be decided primarily in Washington,” shifting focus to state-level contests.

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Deirdre Schifeling, the ACLU’s chief political advocacy officer, is the public face of the campaign. She describes the target electorate as the “ACLU Sway,” a roughly 14 % segment composed of two-thirds low-propensity Democrats and one-third Republicans and independents—particularly older white women and libertarian-leaning men. The organization’s partners include state-level civil-rights groups in the targeted states. Critics cited in the sources are centrist Democrats who argue the ACLU is pushing candidates into culturally charged positions.

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• Total allocated budget: $25 million.

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• Targeted electorate: 14 % of voters, split into ~66 % low-propensity Democrats and ~34 % Republicans/independents.

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• States receiving direct funding: nine (Montana, Kansas, Missouri, Virginia, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona).

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• Specific race support: pro-civil-rights Supreme Court candidates in three states; state House races in three states; incumbent Democratic secretaries of state in two states.

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• Organizational tenure: 106 years since the ACLU’s founding.

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Schifeling emphasized that the ACLU’s electoral program is built around “educating voters around the issues they care most deeply about,” with abortion and voting rights identified as top motivators. She framed the strategy as a response to criticism, noting that the organization remains committed to “fundamental rights and equality for every person” and will continue to pose direct questions to candidates about their records. The ACLU also highlighted its long-standing brand recognition as a factor in mobilizing the identified “ACLU Sway” electorate.

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Centrist Democrats have publicly rebuked the ACLU for concentrating on culturally contentious issues and for influencing candidate positioning through questionnaires. They argue that the organization’s narrow focus may alienate moderate voters and distract from broader policy debates. This criticism forms the primary opposition to the ACLU’s midterm plan within the Democratic coalition.

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• “The next generation of battles over abortion, voting rights and democracy will not be decided primarily in Washington,” — Deirdre Schifeling, ACLU chief political advocacy officer

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• “There’s a whole segment of the Republican Party that actually does believe in rights and liberties and democracy, and is not part of this MAGA force,” — Deirdre Schifeling

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• “Our commitment to fundamental rights and equality for every person in this country is unchanged,” — Deirdre Schifeling

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• “We have not backed away from asking candidates the questions that we think voters need to understand about their positions and records.” — Deirdre Schifeling

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• “Our electoral program is oriented around educating voters around the issues they care most deeply about, and abortion is one of those issues that they care most deeply about, as is voting rights.” — Deirdre Schifeling

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The ACLU’s $25 million initiative will be fully deployed as the 2024 midterm elections approach, with campaign activities slated for the summer and fall. Schifeling indicated that the organization may reassess its approach after the elections, hinting at a possible future questionnaire for the 2028 cycle. The outcome of the targeted referenda and state races will determine whether the ACLU’s “constitutional infrastructure” strategy succeeds in shaping abortion and voting-rights policy at the state level.

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