The Call to Action for Election Engagement

We are just a few days away from Election Day, and already more than 68 million ballots have been cast. Traditionally, the winner of the election has been called on election night. This year is going to be different. Twenty states allow for mail-in ballots to be received on election day, but many of them don’t allow them to be counted before election day. Those tens of millions of ballots could take weeks to count. We want to make sure everyone is able to cast their vote, and that every vote is counted. There is much work ahead of us, but there are action steps you can take right now, and over the coming weeks, to make sure every vote counts!

1. Vote – If you haven’t already, and vote early if you can do so safely. Make sure you share that you voted with family, friends, and others in your community!
2. Prepare – Share Election Protection resources in your community (866-OUR-VOTE) and know your rights at the polls. Check out these resources in advance.
3. Train –Check out the Our Faith Our Vote website for a list of trainings and webinars to prepare for November 3^rd and the days and weeks following.
4. Plan – Lead your congregation through these simple, step-by-step guidance and worksheets for leaders seeking to take decisive steps to create resilience to upheaval in their communities. The tools included steps on how to build or expand a community-wide network of leaders, how to monitor increasing tensions and respond in a crisis, and how to take proactive action that undermines conflict dynamics.
5. Advocate – Be vocal on social media with the Our Faith Our Vote toolkit, write to your local paper, contact your elections board and Secretary of State and find out what steps they are taking to protect the electoral process.
6. Be Patient – Encourage patience for every vote to be counted. Consume accurate information from reputable sources. It will take time to count every vote, this means the system is working! Election wins are not declared by the candidates themselves, but by official, nonpartisan, and trusted sources like your state election board.
7. Pray – As people of faith, we believe in prayer and see voting as a sacred act that shapes our public life together. Before you vote, pray; but also consider praying in these days before the election for our democracy to hold and peace to prevail. Let us be informed, ready, and spiritually grounded for any scenario on election day so that we can instill calm in our communities. Check out Threshold Moments: A Ritual for Voting by Rev. Chris Davies.

Help us to find a way to cut through the confusion and the spin. Give us patience to consider and make wise choices that will lead ever closer to your vision of the Beloved Community. Our faith belongs in the voting booth as well as in the sanctuary!

Prayer by Edith Rasell