Montana has catapulted into the national landscape as a key battleground state for many races and issues in the upcoming 2024 election. Over the next few months, our airwaves and ecosystems will be inundated with campaign ads, some more truthful than others, but one constant theme should ring true: on Tuesday, November 5, Montanans have the opportunity to forge a more fair and equitable future that protects, honors, and promotes civil liberties.
From local school boards all the way to the Montana Supreme Court, from legislative races to a ballot initiative that would affirm reproductive freedom, and from federal congressional races to the presidency–Montanans will have a vital opportunity to make their voices heard this November. With so much at stake, the ACLU of Montana is making unprecedented investments to ensure that voters understand where candidates stand on the issues they value. Our goal is to protect the rights of all Montanans, including the right to vote, access life-saving healthcare, and to simply exist. Innumerable civil rights issues are hanging in the balance, and we cannot count on extremist politicians to protect our rights. These issues include, among others, the Montana Indian Child Welfare Act (MICWA), protecting trans Montanans, and fighting back against attacks on our democracy.
To reinforce our commitment to expanding civil rights for all, we’ve recently restructured our advocacy work to be involved in every avenue of the political arena, from advocating at the legislature to organizing in communities, and from providing voter education materials to fighting for free and fair elections. Accordingly, we have prioritized our staffing to reflect the necessity of being an electoral player, including adding entirely new positions. With this restructuring, we are prioritizing educating voters on where candidates stand on critical civil rights issues in key legislative districts and in the Montana Supreme Court races during this electoral cycle. Additionally, as an executive member of Montanans Securing Reproductive Freedom (MSRR), the ACLU of Montana is working to permanently enshrine the right to reproductive healthcare - including abortion - in the Montana Constitution. Visit mtreprorights.org to learn more about MSRR and get involved.
Although we plan to do robust voter education work, unfortunately, barriers still exist for many Montanans to have their voices heard, which is why we will never stop fighting to protect the right to vote. In March we won a landmark victory in Western Native Voice v. Jacobsen, a case in which the Montana Supreme Court not only struck down repeated attempts by extremist politicians to disenfranchise Indigenous voters, but reaffirmed the unique and enduring constitutional protections afforded to Montana voters. Learn more about that case here.
And just as we defend the Native vote, we also are doing everything we can to promote it. This election season, we will have a Native Vote Organizer dedicated to getting out the vote in Indian Country. You can also find us screening our Indigenous Voting Rights short documentary, educating the public on civil rights issues, tabling at events, and building people power all across Montana. We hope to see along the way!
Election day somehow feels very far away and also just around the corner. But together, we can build a freer future for Montana on November 5, 2024, and every day after.
Paid for by the ACLU of Montana
Alex Rate, Treasurer
P.O. Box 1968
Missoula, MT 59806
