Defend the Vote Action Fund is a hybrid political action committee (PAC) that funds organizations supporting Democratic Party candidates for federal and state offices, as well as groups that oppose Republican efforts to increase election security. ¹ It is part of the Defend the Vote family of Democratic Party-aligned organizations, along with the Defend the Vote PAC and Defend the Vote Leadership Fund PAC. ²

Its founder is Brian Lemek, who as of 2025 was serving as the group’s executive director. Lemek is a Democratic Party operative who was formerly the vice president for development at the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the founding executive director of its associated Brady PAC. ³

Background

Defend the Vote Action Fund and its related organizations were launched in 2021, but were not fully active until after the 2022 election cycle. ³ It is not related to Defend the Vote Inc., a defunct Illinois-based organization that had its 501(c)(3) status revoked by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 2016 for failing to file annual returns. ⁴

Its founder is Brian Lemek, who as of 2025 was working as the group’s executive director. Lemek is a Democratic Party operative who was formerly the vice president for development at the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the founding executive director of its associated Brady PAC. ³ Lemek is also the founder and treasurer of the Stop Gun Violence PAC, which is listed as an “affiliated organization” in Defend the Vote’s Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings. ³

Election Spending

2024 Election

Along with Defend the Vote, the Defend the Vote Action Fund claims to have raised and spent $7.4 million during the 2024 election cycle. ⁵ Its post-election report claimed roughly 110,000 individual donors made more than 450,000 separate donations. ⁵

Defend the Vote Action Fund spent $605,000 of that total to support state and local-level get-out-the-vote and community organizing efforts. ⁵

2026 Election

In 2025, Defend the Vote Action Fund and Defend the Vote stated publicly their intentions to raise a combined $10 million to support Democratic Party candidates during the 2026 election cycle. ⁶ Their goals included winning Democratic majorities in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. ⁶

Partners

Defend the Vote Action Fund and Defend the Vote financially support federal and state-level Democratic Party committees, as well as a number of Democratic Party-aligned organizations across the country. ¹

Defend the Vote Action Fund supports community organizing and get-out-the-vote campaigns operated by state and national partners. It also funds opposition to Republican efforts to increase election security, claiming that it is “protecting voter access.” ¹

Defend the Vote Action Fund’s partners include the Democratic National Committee, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, ASPIRE PAC (formerly Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Leadership PAC), Congressional Black Caucus PAC, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Congressional Black Caucus Institute, Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC (CPC PAC), One APIA Nevada, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Arizona Native Vote, Black Economic Alliance, Bold Democrats, Democracy FIRST PAC, Equality PAC, Elect Democratic Women PAC, Future Forum, Latino Victory Fund, Leaders We Deserve, Mi Familia Vota, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, New Democrat Coalition Action Fund, New Democrat Coalition, Progress Action Fund, Strong Democracy Foundation, Florida Democratic Party, Democratic Party of Illinois, Iowa Democratic Party, Michigan Democratic Party, Nebraska Democratic Party, Nevada Democratic Party, and Wisconsin Democratic Party. ¹

Advocacy

Defend the Vote Action Fund opposes election security legislation such as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require voters to prove their citizenship in order to register to vote. ^{7 8} It also opposes the American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act, which combined Republican election integrity reform proposals into one omnibus bill. ^{9 8}

1. “DTV and DTV Action Fund Partners.” Defend The Vote. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://wedefendthevote.org/dtv-and-dtv-action-fund-partners/.
2. “About Us.” Defend The Vote. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://wedefendthevote.org/about/.
3. Lemek, Brian. “Brian Lemek – Executive Director, Defend The Vote (PAC) & President, Defend The Vote Action Fund (C4) – Defend the Vote | Linkedin.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianlemek/.
4. “IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search Results for EIN 45-2880095.” Internal Revenue Service. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/.
5. “2024 Cycle Report.” Defend The Vote, December 2024. https://wedefendthevote.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Defend-The-Vote-2024-Cycle-Report-1.pdf.
6. “2026 Goals.” Defend The Vote. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://wedefendthevote.org/goals/.
7. Zinsner, Hadleigh. “Will Save Act Prevent Married Women from Registering to Vote?” FactCheck.org, March 7, 2025. https://www.factcheck.org/2025/02/will-save-act-prevent-married-women-from-registering-to-vote/.
8. “2024 Strategies.” Defend The Vote. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://wedefendthevote.org/strategies/.
9. “American Confidence in Elections Act.” United States Committee on House Administration. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://cha.house.gov/american-confidence-in-elections-act.