Vote Like Lives Depend on It

“The vote is precious. It’s almost sacred, so go out and vote like you never voted before.” -John Lewis 

The late John Lewis played an integral role in the Civil Rights Movement and the fight for voting rights. When he marched in Selma for voting rights in 1965, he was beaten by state troopers who fractured his skull. Lewis survived and continued his lifechanging work until he passed in 2020. He risked his life many times over the years, all in pursuit of freedom and equality for all people. 

But John Lewis was not alone. Across generations, countless ordinary people put themselves in extraordinary danger because they believed the right to vote belonged to every American, regardless of race or gender. 

Faith Leaders At the Forefront 

Faith leaders have consistently put their bodies on the line in the fight for the right to vote. In 1917, Dorothy Day, who later founded the Catholic Worker Movement, was among 33 suffragists who endured brutal treatment in the “Night of Terror” after protesting peacefully outside the White House. Elbert Williams was a voting rights activist and a member of the NAACP. In 1940, Elbert Williams, an NAACP member, was taken from his home by police for helping organize a local NAACP chapter. He was later murdered. His case was quickly closed and remains unsolved. In 1955, The Rev. George W. Lee, a Baptist minister, used his pulpit to register Black voters in Mississippi. White officials offered him protection if he would end his efforts. He refused, and white men murdered him. In 1965, the Rev. James Reeb, a Unitarian minister, traveled to Selma to join the civil rights struggle and was beaten to death by white supremacists. These stories are only a few among many. 

We mourn the loss of every person who was martyred fighting for our right to vote, and we denounce the lack of accountability that followed these heinous crimes. We are heirs to their movement, carrying a torch passed from generation to generation, and we know the struggle is far from over.  

The United Church of Christ affirms that access to the ballot box is an essential element of faithful citizenship. In the face of modern attacks on the Voting Rights Act, we are called to prophetically defend voting rights through advocacy, education, and public witness.  

Barriers, intimidation, and efforts to make voting harder continue to threaten equal participation in our democracy. The UCC strongly opposes voter suppression measures such as restrictive voter ID laws and cuts to mail-in voting, especially where they fall hardest on communities of color. You can advocate to protect voting rights through our action center.  

If you experience intimidation or problems at the polls, you can report them through 866-OUR-VOTE. 

How to Help Your Neighbor on Election Day 

Voting is something we do as individuals, but elections are something we do as a community. Reminding your friends and family to vote is important, but some neighbors face barriers that no amount of reminding will solve on its own. This is where the church can act as a body, so everyone can cast their ballot.  

Consider organizing the following:  

– A ride-share system to the polls. Recruit congregants with cars and flexible schedules to drive neighbors who don’t drive, can’t afford the gas, or live far from their polling place. Coordinate by sign-up sheet at coffee hour or through a shared spreadsheet.

– Election Day childcare. Working parents and single parents often skip voting because they can’t bring kids to the polls or wait in a long line with them. Recruit teens in your congregation (this is meaningful service work for youth who can’t yet vote themselves) and adult volunteers to staff a few hours of supervised childcare at the church on Election Day so parents can vote.

– A “voting buddy” system for first-time voters. Pair experienced voters with people voting for the first time, whether 18-year-olds, newly naturalized citizens, or longtime nonvoters finally taking the step. Walk them through what to expect at the polling place. Go together if they want company.

– Multilingual support. If your congregation includes members for whom English is not their first language, find out what language assistance is available at local polling places and connect people to it. Voters have a federal right to bring someone of their choice into the booth to help them read or interpret the ballot.

And if you want to help, make sure that polling places are safe, accessible, and run smoothly, consider serving as a poll worker, poll chaplain, or poll peacekeeper. 

Election Day is Almost Here 

So go out and vote like you have never voted before. Our country is counting on you. Vote for everyone who cannot. Vote for future generations who will inherit this earth. Vote in remembrance of those who fought and sacrificed so that you could cast that ballot today. 

Vote like lives depend on it, because they do.  

Vote with Love this November! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cassandra Saunders (she/her) is the Justice & Peace Policy Fellow at the United Church of Christ Office of Public Policy & Advocacy