There was a time in America when votes were straightforward. Voters would go to the polls on Election Day, cast their ballots, and find out which member won that night before going to sleep.
Following the 2020 election pattern, that is no longer the case.
Election Day has become election season due to the expansion of first and large mail-in voting. In many states, electors are forced to wait days — and in some cases, weeks— before learning the result of an vote. Many Americans are less confident in the political process as a result of this.
Even more remarkable, however, has been the perfect change in how votes are won. Individuals and their political systems no longer play a significant role in predicting the outcome of any given competition. Instead, it’s how many qualified delegates’ ballots may be” chased” and submitted at the urging of political actors before Election Day.
In the case of Democrats, a great facet of their strategy involves the participation of remaining- wing nonprofit organizations, which aim to record consequently- called “underrepresented groups”. This includes populations likely to vote for Liberals, quite as racial minorities, academy- educated people, and young people. Taking this approach allows these groups to skirt federal law, which prohibits 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) s from engaging in “partisan” voter registration.
In recent votes, analytical reports from Restoration of America and the Capital Research Center have discovered how accepting philanthropic voter registration has helped Democrats win possibly thousands of votes across conflict states. The candidates ‘ strategy appears to be working given their candidates ‘ dominance in contests since 2020.
Republicans have mostly failed in attempts to imitate the electoral system that Democrats have built over the years. Republicans ‘ elections are being impacted by the GOP and its mega-donors ‘ failure to prioritize conservative-friendly nonprofit voter registration.
However, that has n’t stopped a number of Christian organizations from stepping up where others have not. These organizations are working closely with the regional media to make sure biblical principles are sung at the ballot box in November.
Evangelical Voting Detection
A typical objective shared by the various Christian organizations The Federalist spoke with is to motivate Christians to cast biblical ballots.
” Christians have an obligation to get involved” in the political process, former South Carolina GOP Chair Chad Connelly told The Federalist.
Connelly is the founder and CEO of Faith Wins, a volunteer launched in 2017 that assists , faith leaders and evangelical Christians with “leverag]ing ] their influence and effect within the administrative and political arena”. The party safely registered 77, 000 new Holy voters in Virginia ahead of the state’s 2021 elections and” just under two million” Catholics during the 2020 period, according to Connelly.
The former South Carolina GOP head explained Faith Wins ‘ plans to increase its voter registration and referral work in the months leading up to the 2024 election. He said he’s just traveled to 15 states “laying the framework” for the team’s plan to hold referral events at christian churches throughout the nation, which are expected to kick into gear second month and experience a “big push” in middle- September.
According to Connelly, event visitors may notice from speakers such as former Rep. Bob McEwen and faith leaders about U. S. past, religious liberty, and the importance of voting biblically. Voter guides may be provided to participants, and they will be able to ask questions about issues like relationship, Israel, and religious freedom.
While costs are a factor in whether Faith Wins reaches out to citizens after they have registered, Connelly claims that the business works with engaged pastors and sends them voter registration data, downtown locations, and other election-related materials in advance of the vote.
” We do n’t talk to candidates or the part]ies ]”, he said. ” My line is,’ Jesus ai n’t running.’ So ,]we encourage Christians ] to vote for the lesser of two evils or human beings — … not]based ] on a person or party but policies and principles that line up with]their ] biblical worldview”.
My Faith Votes, a Christian voter advocacy group, also aims to accomplish similar feats ahead of the 2024 election, according to CEO Jason Yates. He claimed that his organization sees a “huge opportunity” to produce what they believe to be 15 million Christians who are” not registered to vote.”
” The issues that we’re facing are n’t just political issues. These are n’t just policy issues”, Yates said. ” These are cultural, social, and moral issues that we’re facing. Therefore, it’s crucial for pastors to engage and provide some of these resources to their church.
Yates described how My Faith Votes intends to hold its sixth annual National Voter Registration Sunday later this year. The event, which takes place every third Sunday in September, is held at churches all over the country and is intended for church leaders to “encourage their congregations to engage civically and register to vote” and “bring the solutions of their faith to the ballot box.” Election” toolkits” are available for participating churches that aid pastors in registering church members for the vote.
The” My Voter Hub” on My Faith Votes is one of the resources available to prospective Christian voters. It allows them to access their” My Voter Hub,” view their registration status, register to vote if they have n’t already, sign up for reminders about elections in their area, and find their local polling place.
According to Yates, the group also has 11, 000″ action partners” across 50 states, who equip their churches with voter registration tools and take these resources to “other churches in their community”. Additionally, it has partnered with the American Pastor Project, which seeks to engage pastors who are steadfast in the Bible.
Yates stated that the ultimate objective is to establish a nationwide Christian voter outreach campaign that is “owned and supported by the church” and backed by My Faith Votes. The organization is further seeking to activate 1.2 million Christians to vote across seven states during the 2024 election: Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
Do n’t Forget the Catholics
Voter registration is also a big priority this election cycle for CatholicVote Civic Action, a 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) that elevates Catholic voices and encourages them , to , “live out the truths of]the Catholic ] faith in public life”.
President Brian Burch stated in a statement to The Federalist that the majority of what CatholicVote is doing is “is online.” While CatholicVote is attempting to “work with some dioceses and parishes around nonpartisan voter registration efforts,”
According to Burch, “we’ve identified hundreds of thousands of Catholics who are currently in households without registered voters in about seven target states.” ” We are doing a big reach out to field teams that we’ve built across the country… to drive traffic to these voter registration websites that we’re building.”
According to Burch, CatholicVote gathers data from a variety of sources to identify these potential voters. This includes examining users who use Catholic-aligned social media accounts, geofence data from mobile devices that users use to visit Catholic churches, and even artificial intelligence models. Then CatholicVote compares this information to current voter registration records that indicate” a residential address with no registered voter where]it believes ] an active Catholic resides.”
This will allow us to “target that household or any devices or phone numbers associated with that household” via texts, door knocking, etc. “, Burch said.
The organization’s 2024 outreach strategy includes a significant part of following up with Catholics who register through and share their data with CatholicVote. The group intends to keep in touch with these voters and” continue to message them with advertisements about the importance of voting, their moral duty to vote, and their ] civic obligation to vote,” according to Burch. These communications will come in the form of phone calls, video and text messages, and in- person contact “where possible”.
According to Burch, one of the key components of this messaging will be encouraging voters to cast their ballots early. CatholicVote aims to turn out 10, 000 to 25, 000 new voters in each targeted state.
A Wake- Up Call to GOP Donors
How much of a difference do Christian non-profits make in shaping the 2024 election results remains to be seen. Republican donors can no longer afford to ignore the value of conservative-leaning voter registration initiatives.
” The]political ] parties have ruined a lot of]their ] credibility, so nobody’s going to trust the party”, with voter registration, Connelly said. ” That in itself sums up for me why ]our efforts are so important ]”.
Shawn Fleetwood is a University of Mary Washington graduate and a staff writer for The Federalist. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClear Health, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
