Dear Partners in Ministry,
This election is unlike any other (just like everything else in 2020). With so much on the line, and in the middle of a pandemic, it will look a little different. While we’re used to staying up on election night to find out who won, it’s likely that this year the counting will take a little longer. Uncertainty about the electoral process and what to expect from this election season can be intimidating. We want to share with you the information we are lifting up to our advocates to prepare for the next few weeks of this election season. Please use this information for your own preparation and lift up with your conferences if helpful. We would love to hear what you are doing in your conference to prepare!
Less than two weeks away from Election Day, already more than 27 million ballots have been cast. Twenty states allow for mail-in ballots to be received on election day, and 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 next few months, to make sure every vote counts!
1. Vote! - If you haven’t already, make a voting plan and vote early if you can. 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 – Participate in de-escalation trainings like the two part training from Count Every Vote Faith Network on October 22 and October 27. Join Traci Blackmon and Billy M. Honor, Director of Faith Organizing for the New Georgia Project on October 25 to talk about precinct chaplains and showing up as a faithful witness on election day.
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 take 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 information from accurate and 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 rather official, nonpartisan and trusted sources like state election officials and the Associated Press.
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
In Solidarity,
The Our Faith Our Vote Team, Sandy, Katie, Mike, Jessi, and Madison