by Ariel Miller
Episcopal and community resources to support voter access
- The spiritual basis for supporting voter access
- Help eligible voters register or update their registration by October 7
- Other ways you can help
- Charges of voter fraud fueling bills to create more obstacles
The spiritual basis for supporting voter access: Our Baptismal vows (Book of Common Prayer, p. 304) include commitments to seek and serve Christ in every human being, and to strive for justice and peace among all people. I see that as meaning that every person is born a citizen of the Beloved Community. There are no “aliens.” Neither religion, race, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, nor political views can separate us from God’s love and protection. I think that makes our understanding of the Kingdom of God the opposite of white Christian nationalism.
If that’s the case, our witness as Christians during the election includes (but is not limited to) helping every eligible voter to register and understand how to cast their vote so that it counts. This is true regardless of the voter’s party or views.
“It is a Christian obligation to vote, and more than that, it is the church’s responsibility to help get souls to the polls,” writes Presiding Bishop Michael Curry at the start of the “Vote Faithfully” Election Engagement Toolkit, which is available on both English and Spanish on the website of the Episcopal Office of Government Relations.
This is a vital opportunity for the Episcopal Church to go public with our support for voting rights in Ohio. Local connections and collaboration are vital. If you can help develop a resource directory of voter engagement training events and nonpartisan organizations in your city or county, please email me at arielmillewriter@gmail.com.
Help eligible people register or update their registration by October 7: October 7 is Ohio’s deadline to register or update registration for the November election. The Episcopal Church has published bulletin inserts for Sept. 15 about National Voter Registration Day (Sept. 17). This summer, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose purged 155,000 people from Ohio voter rolls for a variety of reasons, but they can re-register by Oct. 7 in order to be able to vote.
If you serve the public in a community organization such as a pantry or a shelter, tape this QR code to the back of your phone to help people check their voter registration status. If their registration has lapsed or needs to be confirmed, you can help them register online or help them fill out paper voter registration forms – these are available at the same link.
Helping people verify and update their registration is particularly important for those who face barriers, such as the working poor coping with time and transportation constraints, the homeless, citizens with limited English, and ex-offenders. Ohio has a program called Safe at Home to provide a confidential address to voters who are victims of domestic or sexual violence, trafficking, or stalking.
Ohio citizens who will turn 18 by election day can also register to vote! Consider reaching out to high school students in your community.
The Greater Cincinnati Voter Collaborative has posted several excellent flyers which you can download and post. These include posters on why voting matters because of the impact of government on our lives and livelihoods. Scroll down to see their social media graphics.
Other ways you can help: The Office of Government Relations (in Vote Faithfully, pp. 4-5) urges Episcopalians to:
- Sign up as poll workers because of the nationwide shortage.
- Publicize new state voting procedures. Ohio lawmakers have enacted new ID requirements and eliminated a day of early voting, effective January, 2023.
- Encourage youth and young adults to register. Explain why their vote is important.
- Sign up to provide election protection during early voting and Election Day. This includes serving as a non-partisan poll monitor or taking Peace Keeper training offered by the Ohio Council of Churches. I’ll provide links to those resources in the next post.
Excellent online resources for Ohio include the Greater Cincinnati Voter Collaborative, which is nonpartisan and volunteer-run.
“It’s pivotal to ensure that every eligible voter feels informed and empowered to participate in our democratic process, no matter their political persuasion,” writes GCVC founder Justin Kirshner. “Barriers like misinformation, voter purges, access challenges, and voter apathy can significantly impact turnout and it’s essential for communities, leaders, and organizations to work together to address these issues and encourage a robust and inclusive electoral process. There are many ways for civic and faith minded neighbors to help ensure our elections run smoothly from volunteering to drive voters to the polls, to serving as poll workers or election protection monitors. You can learn more about these opportunities and other important information about the upcoming election at cincyvotes.org.”
Charges of voter fraud fueling bills to create more obstacles: In Ohio, voters can no longer use documents like utility bills as a valid form of ID. The US House of Representatives recently passed the SAVE Act to require proof of citizenship to register to vote. Voters would have to present documents such as a birth certificate or passport. A study by the University of Maryland estimates that 21 million eligible American voters don’t have one of these documents. House Speaker Mike Johnson cited Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s report of 137 suspected noncitizens (out of over 8 million registered voters) on Ohio’s voter rolls.
“Although it’s possible some of those individuals have committed fraud, LaRose hasn’t proven it. And in an interview with conservative talk radio host Bob Frantz, he acknowledged those registrations could be “the result of an honest mistake,” reported Nick Evans in the Ohio Capital Journal and News5 Cleveland. “Under federal law, the BMV and other state agencies have to offer people seeking services voter registration forms.”
