ACLU to Spend More Than $50 Million on 2026 Midterm Elections

The American Civil Liberties Union will spend more than $50 million on the 2026 midterm elections, with half directed toward monitoring ballot counting and certification in key states. ACLU officials said they will train and deploy more than 100 paid staff members and more than 3,000 volunteer leaders to encourage voting and monitor election processes.

The organization has already trained 5,000 people and plans to train 5,000 more.

The ACLU is involved in more than 80 lawsuits across two dozen states and Washington, D.C., concerning voting rights, redistricting and mail balloting limits. In last month’s Georgia primary, local ACLU affiliates placed monitors in seven counties. Plans call for expansion to 30 counties in November.

The remaining half of the funds will support state Supreme Court races in Montana and North Carolina, secretary of state races in Arizona and Nevada, and state legislative contests in North Carolina, Montana, Georgia and Michigan. Deidre Schifeling, the ACLU’s chief political and advocacy officer, said the group is preparing for possible federal intervention in election administration.

The ACLU described the total amount as its largest election investment in its history. The Justice Department has sued 30 states and Washington, D.C., seeking voter roll data, while the FBI has seized 2020 election materials from Arizona and Georgia.