The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts is renewing its long-running public education campaign, “What a Difference a DA Makes,” in advance of the 2026 district attorney elections. The campaign will once again highlight the power of district attorneys to shape outcomes in the criminal legal system — and remind voters of their power to hold these elected officials accountable.
In the run-up to this year’s primary and general election, the WADADAM campaign will share information about contested races, educational videos, blogs, and other resources explaining the role that prosecutors can play in protecting civil rights and civil liberties and addressing racial and social inequities. In addition, there will be informational webinars on July 16 and August 12. The ACLU of Massachusetts is nonpartisan and does not endorse political candidates.
“DAs are powerful, but voters hold the ultimate power to demand justice and equity at the ballot box,” said Traci Griffith, director of the Racial Justice Program at the ACLU of Massachusetts. “After decades of racist and ineffective policies leading to mass incarceration, Bay Staters want a criminal legal system built on fairness, equity, and true justice. Prosecutors can play a pivotal role in that process, and we want to give voters the necessary tools to spur the reforms they want to see.”
First launched in 2017, the WADADAM campaign was informed at the outset by research showing that Massachusetts voters favored criminal legal reform but lacked fundamental knowledge about the role of prosecutors in driving change. According to one ACLU of Massachusetts poll, nearly 4 in 10 voters did not know that DAs were elected. Over the past 10 years, the WADADAM campaign has sought to increase voter awareness and encourage greater participation in district attorney elections through educational resources and community engagement.
“Every day, DAs make decisions that have profound impacts, not just on the lives of people caught up in the criminal legal system, but on entire communities,” said Katy Naples-Mitchell, justice policy counsel at the ACLU of Massachusetts. “DAs decide whom to prosecute and what charges to bring, whether to send people to jail before they are proven guilty, and whether to dismiss or divert cases to give people second chances. These decisions have contributed to historic and ongoing racial disparities in the criminal legal system. With so much discretion in the hands of prosecutors, it’s imperative that Massachusetts voters wield their power to hold these elected officials accountable.”
For more information about What a Difference a DA Makes, visit: https://www.aclum.org/campaigns-initiatives/da/
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