ACLU commits record funds to spotlight abortion in upcoming election

The American Civil Liberties Union is allocating more than $25 million to down-ballot races nationwide in this year’s election, with the strategic aim of “going on offense” on reproductive rights matters such as abortion rights.

ACLU officials said their investment sets a new record for election cycle funding, exceeding their largest investment of $16 million in 2020.

“What our team is building at the ACLU in a new way is the ability to go on offense,” Deirdre Schifeling, the ACLU’s chief political and advocacy officer, said in an interview with NBC. “To not just defend civil rights and civil liberties, but to go out and win civil rights and civil liberties by shaping our electoral environment by communicating with voters about electing the person who’s going to actually support civil rights and civil liberties.”

The ACLU intends to get involved in the U.S. Senate race in Wisconsin, as well as state Supreme Court competitions in Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, and North Carolina.

Additionally, it plans to be involved in various state legislative races in Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.

This initial investment will not go toward the presidential contest.

The group will also allocate funds toward supporting ballot measures advocating abortion rights in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, and New York, as well as to support redistricting reform initiatives in Ohio.

Last April, an Arizona Supreme Court ruling banned abortions, with the only exception being in cases in which the mother faces immediate life-threatening conditions but not for situations involving rape or incest. It mandates a prison sentence of two to five years for healthcare professionals performing the procedure unlawfully. Since then, lawmakers have passed legislation protecting some abortions, but there will be a portion of the summer when the court’s ban is in effect. Lawmakers and Democratic operatives have seized on the opportunity to motivate voters in campaigning.

“The organization is really, really good on defense, and now we’re also building up the ability to be really good on offense as well,” Schifeling said.

Its focus also includes organizing volunteer efforts to educate voters on responding to hostile poll monitors this November, partly in response to plans by the Republican National Committee to build larger poll monitoring operations.

Schifeling described this $25 million investment as “groundbreaking,” not just due to its size but also because it created the group’s first federal super PAC, ACLU Voter Education Fund, to disburse the funds.

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“This cycle, we are focused primarily on voter education around what’s at stake in this election and what candidates’ positions are on key issues — particularly reproductive rights, voting rights, and democracy,” Schifeling said.

ACLU’s goal in many state legislative races is “to make sure there is enough of a pro-civil rights, pro-civil liberties” contingent that will uphold or override vetoes on legislation concerning reproductive and voting rights.