Thoughts of when and where to vote have surfaced along with Super Tuesday, the unofficial start of the election year. But this is not a problem for those blessed enough to attend churches that double as polling places.
For those, the phrase “souls to the polls” takes on an entirely different meaning. Vote where you worship. Rather than a ride to another location, they only have to walk to another room in their home church or maybe to a connected building.
In fact, more than 350,000 polling places in this country are located in churches and other houses of worship. That’s 20% of the total.
This is not new. Generations of faith leaders have watched and now emulate their predecessors who urged parishioners to vote. Those leaders calmed fears around voting and even had to school folks on the issues, especially for those who still couldn’t read.
Churches, especially Black churches, have traditionally lent their space to the whole community so they can hold anonymous meetings for people with unhealthy relationships with food or substance abuse challenges, business meetings around shared interests, and even bingo and other fun activities that help people of like minds and hearts gather in peace and safety.
The Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC), founded in 1961, provided a denominational home for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the struggle for freedom that he represented. Today it continues the tradition and has gone further with comprehensive guidance on their website for the member churches. It begins with a call to action from the president, including an invocation of the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“We must speak to the disregard and disrespect of civil rights and call out the work to undermine basic rights to live free and vote as unacceptable,” said Rev. David R. Peoples, PNBC president.
He says the one thing Americans seem to agree upon is concern for the state of democracy and how the outcome of the election will affect democracy’s future.
The guide lists offices to be voted upon, issues to be considered and even offers questions to pose to the varied contenders.
The spoken and unspoken imperative is simple: “Vote.” And not just in presidential election years, such as 2024. While houses of worship, because of their tax-exempt status, cannot endorse particular candidates, they can certainly educate on issues of importance so parishioners can make informed choices.
“Organizing volunteers to prepare a mailing for a candidate or soliciting donations is forbidden,” according to Church Law Center. “A church is allowed to take positions on issues important to its congregation…even touch on topics central to a political campaign without running afoul of the rules. But the line between issue advocacy and candidate endorsement is often blurry.”
The Episcopal Church started Episcopal Election Activators two years ago to encourage its membership to do its part in the electoral process. Members from the original group are already at work to motivate as many voters as possible.
“It’s critical that Episcopalians not only vote but understand the important role our churches can play in supporting free and fair elections and a peaceful transfer of power,” Alan Yarborough, the office’s church relations officer said. “If you are at all interested in this work, or even already doing election engagement now,” he reasoned with prospective volunteers.