Fighting for Our Vote

Effective as of August 10, 2021.

The American Civil Liberties Union, Inc. (“ACLU,” “we,” “our,” “us”) is committed to protecting the personal information that you provide and entrust to us when using our websites. This is the online privacy statement (the “Privacy Statement”) for www.fightingforourvote.org (the “Site”), which is operated by ACLU as part of its participation as a member of Fighting for Our Vote, a multi-racial coalition formed for the purpose of building a response to the aggressive, blatant, and racist campaign to restrict access to the ballot and marginalize the voices of voters in the United States and working through mass mobilization efforts to elevate advocacy in response to the voting rights attacks happening in our states and cities (“Fighting for Our Vote” or the “Coalition”). This Online Privacy Statement describes how we collect, use, and disclose information from or about you collected during your visit to the Site.

To be clear, this is not the online privacy statement for any other website or web page operated by the ACLU — unless it links directly to this Online Privacy Statement. Any web pages operated by ACLU (e.g., pages that contain the URL go.peoplepower.org) that link to this Online Privacy Statement are considered to be a part of this coalition Site. This privacy statement also does not apply to websites that the ACLU does not operate where an ACLU entity has a presence, such as ACLU pages on Facebook.

Finally, this is not the privacy statement for the websites of (1) any of ACLU’s affiliated entities, including the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Inc. and our local/state affiliate organizations (ACLU “Affiliates”); or (2) any of the other members of the Coalition (our “Coalition Partners”). In all of those cases, site-specific privacy terms apply, and should be posted accordingly. Please note, however, that this Privacy Statement does provide for ACLU to share data collected about you on this Site with both ACLU Affiliates and our Coalition Partners. The terms of that sharing, along with other circumstances where information about you may be disclosed outside ACLU, are described in more detail below.

Privacy and the Internet

The Internet, generally speaking, is not currently a private place. As you visit websites, use search engines, and conduct business on the Internet, many different companies and organizations are gathering information about your online behavior by tracking your searches, visits, and transactions, and then matching that data with other information about you or leveraging algorithms to predict your behavior. There are some things you can do to prevent your information from being collected. We encourage you to read our Easy Steps Everyone Can Take to Protect Their Digital Privacy to help protect your privacy online.

Like most websites, our Site collects and processes a range of data about its visitors to enable full functionality of the website and to deliver requested services. ACLU may collect, use, and disclose information about your use of the Site as explained below.

Data We Collect

In order to advance our advocacy and outreach programs, and to provide you with a better experience when interacting with the ACLU and Fighting for Our Vote we rely on data collected from our supporters. Data collected includes information that you provide directly and web data that may be automatically received and recorded by us from your browser. This section outlines what data is collected, as well as information on how we use collected data.

Information you provide directly

Certain pages on the Site may invite you to share personally identifying information, such as your name, address, email address, telephone number, or other information you provide when submitting a webform. Sharing this information will allow you to join our email list, sign a petition, demand action from your elected representatives, register for an event (including, e.g., Coalition events) or volunteer shift, or to participate in a campaign or other similar online activities and make it easier for us to communicate with you about important civil liberties issues and opportunities for you to get involved.

Web data

We may automatically receive and record information from your browser when you visit this Site. The information that we collect with these automated methods may include your IP address, cookie information, browser type, system type, and the referring URL.

In addition, if you sign up for our email list, we may send you an email that includes an embedded image to track open rates or URLs that allow us to track click-rates.

We may also use cookies to improve website performance, to remember user preferences and settings, and to collect analytic data. By “cookies” we mean small files placed on to your device by websites you visit. “Cookies” may also refer to local storage, which is a mechanism similar to cookies where the information is stored within your web browser. In some instances, we place these cookies ourselves. In other instances, we allow outside service providers to place these cookies.

Third Party Links and Hosted Content

The Site is connected in a variety of ways to content hosted by third parties, including links to social media sites, links to other sites, and embedded media. When you access this content, including content that loads when you browse on the aclu.org domain, third party content hosts may place tracking devices (e.g. cookies or pixels) on your computer, access existing tracking devices that were set when you previously visited other websites, or otherwise gather information about you as you access their content.

When you click on links to third party websites, including social media sites, you will leave our Site. To learn about how those third parties treat the data they collect through tracking devices and otherwise, see their respective online privacy policies and other posted guidance.

When you view embedded media, such as videos, that are hosted on other platforms, such as YouTube, but viewable directly through the buttons we provide, you will remain on our Site but you will be visiting these third party’s web environments. In these instances, we make clear that you are viewing external content when you click on links or buttons.

Our Data Practices

Data Uses

We may use your data to:

• Contact you about activities or news, or about opportunities to support the ACLU and/or the Coalition and our Coalition Partners.
• In the case of petitions, we may display your first name, last initial, and city and state on our website.
• In the case of petitions or other direct messages to advocacy targets (such as your member of congress), any data you enter (e.g. name, email address, etc.)  may be passed on to the advocacy target with your message.
• If you have joined ACLU’s People Power program, share your name and contact information with other volunteers,  and acknowledge your participation in specific volunteer activities.
• Conduct research in order to learn about supporters as a whole and about ways we might engage you individually.
• Use or share your information as otherwise disclosed at the point of collection. For example, when you elect to take an action on the Site—such as sign a petition or pledge—we may request information about you and provide a notice that completing and submitting the form will mean that you permit us to share the data you have entered with other parties, such as coalition partners for that campaign.
• Deliver targeted content—including advertisements—to you over the phone, through the mail, and using digital platforms such as social media, other websites, search results pages, and mobile applications.
• Measure and improve the performance of the Site.
• Deploy interactive features and improve your experience on the Site and respond to your requests or inquiries. 
• Investigate or maintain the stability and security of the Site.

To perform each of these functions, we may share your information with service providers that support our operations.

Data Sharing

This section describes circumstances where we may disclose data collected from or about you during your visit to the Site.

How We Work with Our Coalition Partners

To further the Coalition’s purpose, we may disclose information collected from or about you via this Site with our Coalition Partners, including to facilitate co-branded communications about ACLU and the Coalition’s efforts and information about our Coalition Partners’ programs and services.  ACLU does not control and is not responsible for our Coalition Partners’ privacy standards or their use or further disclosure of data we share with them from this Site, which will instead be governed by each Coalition Partner’s posted privacy statement. This list of current Coalition Members includes links to the respective privacy statement of each of our Partners has provided and agreed to apply to data that is collected via this Site and shared with them. This list may be updated periodically on the Site as the Coalition’s work progresses. By using and submitting your data to this Site, you consent to sharing of your data with these Coalition Partners and to receive information and updates from them about the Coalition and their own programs and services pursuant to their posted privacy statements.

How We Work with Our Affiliates

We work and share your data with our ACLU Affiliates around the United States to create a cohesive experience for our supporters and members. Our Affiliates are bound to use the data that we provide them no more broadly than as would be allowed under this Online Privacy Statement, and with regard to their own operations.

How We Work with Service Providers

We work with a variety of service providers who help us undertake the activities outlined in “Our Data Uses,” including processing data; facilitating the operation of our Site; supporting our fundraising, marketing, communications, and advocacy programs; and delivering messages to you on other platforms. 

If you join ACLU’s People Power program for enrolling and organizing volunteers and grassroots activists – including via this Site to join or engage with our Coalition efforts – information about you may be passed through a variety of digital tools, such as tools for sending emails, scheduling events, and allowing volunteers to communicate with one another. Some of the service providers who operate our tools for People Power may require broader rights to retain and use information about you. 

In the People Power context, each of the tools we use has its own privacy rules, determined by the individual service provider. In some instances, you will know what those tools are. For example, if you are using a texting or scheduling tool, it will be clear to you which service providers have been engaged to provide those tools, and you can learn about how those service providers will treat your data by reviewing their respectively posted privacy statement. In other cases, it may not be clear to you what service providers are supporting the People Power program. For more information about what tools are used to support this program, you may reach out to us at [email protected]. 

Also, please be aware that some of the service providers supporting the [coalition] may use tracking devices (e.g. cookies and pixels), or otherwise automatically collect information about you. Some may use information about you for purposes other than those of the People Power program or Coalition, or disclose information about you to other parties.

Deliver targeted content on non-ACLU platforms

To enable us to provide the most relevant information on our activities, we may share your personal information with communications platforms, such as Facebook and Mother Jones, including to deliver our content (including, e.g., Coalition co-branded content) to you or to identify other people who may enjoy our content.

We may also share your information with organizations that display our advertisements or petitions to their subscribers. This practice helps us engage in effective fundraising and advocacy operations and enables our teams to communicate more effectively with known supporters.

Importantly, we want you to have the opportunity to learn about ACLU’s targeted advertising practices and give you the opportunity to opt out of them. For additional information on with whom we share your data—which may include name, zip code, email address, and other information—for delivering targeted content on non-ACLU platforms, please see this list of service providers delivering our targeted content on non-ACLU platforms. If you do not wish to have us share your data with these service providers, please let us know by completing our Communication Preferences form. Additional information on how to change your communication preferences is outlined in the section on Communication Preferences below.

Other Disclosures

We may also disclose your data if we are required to do so by law, such as to comply with a subpoena or other legal process, a court order, or government reporting obligations.

If we determine we are required by law to disclose your data and if we are legally permitted to do so, we will provide you with notice of the request prior to making the disclosure to give you an opportunity to object to the disclosure. We will not provide such notice, however, if the disclosure is pursuant to our regular government reporting obligations, such as financial disclosures required for tax law compliance.

Security Measures and Data Transmission

We have taken physical, electronic, and administrative measures to safeguard the information we collect. We work to ensure data accuracy and protect against unauthorized access to, and improper use of, information we collect online. 

Information that can be readily linked to you personally, such as your name and address, is stored by us on servers subject to security safeguards. Additionally, all data transmitted to and from our Site, including credit card numbers, are encrypted in transit.

However, as described above, service providers that help operate the People Power program and may receive and store your data, may have their own approach to data security and data transmission. We do not generally impose our data security standards or perform security assessments of People Power service providers.  

Procedure When We Update This Statement

This Privacy Statement may change from time to time. We will post Privacy Statement changes on this page and, if the changes are significant, we will provide a more prominent notice on the Site. 

Communication Preferences

If you wish to update personal information or change your communication preferences, you may contact us to update our records. You have the following options to do this:

• If you are enrolled to receive non-People Power ACLU and affiliate email communications: click on the “Unsubscribe” link in the footer of any ACLU, ACLU Foundation, or affiliate email to change your communication preferences.
• If you are enrolled in the Union’s People Power program: click on the “Unsubscribe” link in the footer of any People Power email to opt out of the program.
• If you are enrolled to receive automated recurring text messages from 82623, text or reply “STOP” to 82623 to opt out, and for other autodialed text messages we send via an autodialer, reply “STOP” or follow instructions in the text message.
• Complete our Communication Preferences form to change your communications preferences for information you shared with us previously for the following:
  • Paper mail communications
  • Phone communications
  • Data sharing with non-ACLU platforms that deliver targeted content (Please note, opting out of this practice will also unsubscribe you from our email communications.)
  • List sharing agreements with non-partisan organizations
• Send an e-mail to: [email protected].
• Send mail to: ACLU Membership Department, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004.

If you have any other questions regarding this Privacy Statement or our data practices, you can reach our Data Protection and Governance Lead by emailing [email protected].