Get Ready to Count Every Vote

by Jessica Quinn | published on Nov 2, 2020

Increasing uncertainty around the election and what happens after is totally normal; we’re feeling it too. With everything this year has thrown at us, an election that doesn’t go according to plan seems almost inevitable. Not knowing what the next step is can make us fearful. While we would love to know exactly what will happen on election night, the very nature of elections under any circumstance, make this challenging. Having said this, there are some things we know and can expect:

Already over 93 million people have early voted! The number of early and mail-in voting far exceeds that of the 2016 election!
Due to extra absentee ballots, security measures, and COVID safety procedures, it will naturally take much longer for election officials to count votes. The chances of finding out the results of the election on election night are slim. Keep an eye out and be skeptical of candidates who claim victory too early on Election Night.
The vote counts that come in on the night of the election are expected to shift significantly in the days following the election as every vote is counted. There is the possibility that there will be some premature claims of victory- from candidates who see they’re ahead in the day-of polling that doesn’t reflect all of the uncounted mail-in ballots. Over 15 states have rules that don’t even allow for mail-in ballots to be opened on the day before, or the day of, the election.
Some states will prove to be more contentious than others – especially if vote counts are very close. This is why we need to remember to Count Every Vote! Our vote is our voice, and each voice is sacred. Each person who cast their vote deserves to have it counted. For our democracy to work, it needs to include and serve all of us.

As people of faith, our voice is essential in the coming days. We believe in the inherent dignity of every individual, and to uphold that dignity we must ensure that every vote is counted. Raise your voice in your community, congregation, on social media, or anywhere you have a platform to tell others that we must COUNT EVERY VOTE!

Spread the Word on Social Media! Here are some sample posts:

Votes will take a long time to be counted this year; it is good to be skeptical about any news on election night. We must insist that every vote be counted, and every voice be heard, before a victory is claimed. #CountEveryVote

2020 has been anything but normal. With a high number of absentee ballots and additional COVID safety measures, it will take a bit longer to learn the results. This is a good sign, and means our democracy is working. We must focus on the call to #CountEveryVote

Our vote is our voice, and every voice is sacred. We are better off when more Americans are able to vote. It may take longer to get results, but it is our moral call to demand that we #CountEveryVote. #OurFaithOurVote