Democratic & Civic Engagement

In order to close participation gaps that continue to leave historically disenfranchised voters underrepresented in our democracy, the ACLU works to bring voter registration into the 21st century and make voting as convenient as possible. The ACLU advocates for reforms that have been demonstrated to be extremely effective at making sure that all Americans who want to register to vote and cast a ballot are able to do so.

Since 2008, states across the country have passed measures to make it harder for Americans—particularly black people, the elderly, students, and people with disabilities—to exercise their fundamental right to cast a ballot. The ACLU fights against any law that seeks to increase the burden for eligible voters trying to exercise their most fundamental constitutional right.

The ACLU believes that the system of electing candidates to federal office is badly in need of repair. We will continue to advocate for reform of the current system, including in support of our longstanding commitment to public financing of campaigns. In doing so, we will stress fidelity to the principles protected by the First Amendment with the goal of expanding, not limiting, political speech.