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As we close in on election day, many Christians are asking the question: how can we be faithfully engaged as a Christian during this season? If you are like me, you have probably watched our national politics with a sense of bewilderment, wondering how things have gotten this bad. Here at New Life Church, some of us thankfully were able to have a prayer meeting after last Tuesday’s debate; sometimes, it feels like that is the best faithful response to these times.
However, as Christians, I think it is important that we collectively not become cynical about our politics. The word “political” comes from the Greek word “polis,” which was used by Aristotle to describe the idea of “sharing life together” and taking responsibility for one another’s good in the city. As the election approaches, it is important to take the opportunity to approach November 3rd, keeping in mind the good of our neighbors as our central concern.
At New Life Church in Lincoln Heights, we are taking on two initiatives as the election approaches. We invite you to join in with both in the coming weeks.
1) Voter Registration and Planning
As we have talked as a church about voting, there is a lot of concern that it will be difficult for people to engage. Many are worried that the current pandemic, the confusion about how to vote, and the uncompetitive and ugly presidential race in California (among other things) would discourage folks from voting.
My friend Jen Blue (pastor of Church of the Redeemer in the Jefferson Park neighborhood) recently shared with me that while voter registration is high in LA County as a whole, it greatly varies neighborhood to neighborhood. In their neighborhood in South LA, participation is between 50 and 60% of theHere on the Eastside, registration is between 55-65% of eligible voters, while in Pasadena and Culver City, it is between 70-76%. Depending on where you live, you can assume that many people in your neighborhood are not registered to vote; including them in the process is a way to bond with your community and increase social inclusion simultaneously. It can also mean increasing our community's voice on relevant issues, especially on state and local issues that we often overlook!
This year brings increased complexity, as many registered voters do not know how to safely and securely vote in a time unprecedented global pandemic. Many voters need to be assisted in making a plan to vote, not just being registered to vote!
Practical Action
We have been putting together this helpful guide to share with folks, either over social media or printing, to give in-person service. It includes links to:
Coming up with a plan to vote
Tracking your ballot after you vote.
If you have questions, our contact at the city clerk’s office, Mariel, is more than happy to chat with churches to increase voting engagement. She can be reached at mariel.camilo@lacity.org. The LA Times also has a good article on how to vote during this time that you can share.
2) Ballot Research and Education
Many voters are overwhelmed by the sheer number of things they have to vote on in the election. As someone who moved to California as an adult, having voted in other elections, I was also overwhelmed by this! Given that much of our ballot is filled by state and local races and propositions where we as churches have a great deal of leverage, it is vital to overcome this feeling overwhelmed to mobilize people to action.
To do this well, we recommend organizing a time at your church where folks can gather to educate each other on their ballots and what will be on it. What is really vital to making this work is really working hard to mobilize and involve many people from your church, with different perspectives, and allowing your time to include these disparate perspectives and voices. Legally as a church, there are some limitations on what you can and cannot formally endorse; however, there are no restrictions on creating a space for your members to share their individual perspectives, especially if you can get multiple members to give multiple perspectives on a specific issue or race.
One key in doing this is identifying which parts of the ballot to focus on. Naturally, most political discussion gravitates toward the president, and to a lesser degree, congressional races. I would make sure that your time is limited to the degree that you focus on state and local races, where church members may not have as much bandwidth to do their own research. Here is a template for dividing up what is on your ballot that you are free to copy and use!
How do I find out what is on my ballot?
LAist Your Ballot: I start my research at LA-ist since they have the cleanest and easiest to navigate. However, their local races aren’t calibrated well to your local address, so don’t rely on it 100%
Voter’s edge: This site isn’t as easy to navigate, but is more accurate at identifying the local races that match your address.
Ballotpedia: perfect for getting into the weeds on specific races, but I wouldn’t recommend you start here because the sheer amount of data is overwhelming
What Questions Should I research for Propositions?
Summary of the proposition, including what background issues that are involved (i.e., housing, criminal justice, education, etc.)
Coalitions for/against (Parties, Coalitions, Corporations, Unions, Newspapers)
Supportive Endorsements (and their spending)
Opposition Endorsements (and their spending)
Arguments
Best 2-3 Arguments for
Best 2-3 Arguments against
Your Conclusion?
How would you vote right now?
How confident are you? (For example, You might say you are “60/40” on an issue you feel there are good arguments on both sides, whereas you might say you are “90/10” on a relatively straightforward issue)
What Questions Should I research for Candidates?
Summary of the role and what power it wields?
Key endorsements/coalition of each candidate?
Key Qualifications/Arguments for each candidate
This information may not always be easy to find, but candidate websites and Facebook places can be a reliable place to find information if you can’t find it elsewhere
Your Conclusion?
How would you vote right now?
How confident are you?
Where can I go for non-partisan research in a particular race?
LAist.com: In addition to their “Your Ballot” section, their election 2020 page has explainers on the CA Ballot Props and many of the most prominent local races. They also will respond to questions you ask, which is a cool feature!
Cal Matters: Cal Matters is a California focused website doing explanatory journalism (think Vox.com for California). They have an excellent guide to the ballot measures and statewide races (CA state assembly and senate). They also allow you to ask questions, which is a great feature! If you want to learn about a specific ballot measure, they have Q/A sessions on all the state propositions throughout the next few weeks.
LA Times (Paywall $): The LA Times is probably the most prominent newspaper on the west coast, and they generally have an influential voice in LA politics. I always read their endorsements, even if I disagree because I almost always learn something. If you can’t access a specific editorial because of the paywall, see if you know someone (like me) who has a subscription.
Ballot FYI: They do good work to explain the California ballot propositions in concise, everyday language. If you are overwhelmed, it is a simple place to start.
LAist Guide to Judges: A good starting point in researching what is probably the most challenging race to parse as a voter
California Policy Forum: (From Rob Baird): The is also hosting a webinar on the ballot measures on Oct 8, 2020, at 1:00 PM.
Additional Tips on Research:
Look for political parties, coalitions, or causes-focused groups representing your views to see how they are endorsing (or if they are endorsing). That will give you a sense of where the activists are at
Read at least one opinion that differs from your leaning OR differs from most of the sources you are reading. The LAist page on Ballot propositions will link to arguments for and against every proposition. I (Thomas) make it a point to read the OC Register endorsements for California ballot props because they have a Right/Libertarian slant since most of my sources (LAist/CalMatters/LA Times) tend to have a center-left slant. I do not always agree with their endorsements, but I often learn from reading their reasoning! If nothing else, you will have a better understanding of how to have a conversation with someone who disagrees!
Working Together
Make sure that as you get volunteers to help with researching, you ask folks to write down their notes so that you can share them afterward with the whole church. Many in your church will want both a “cheat sheet” (with just the conclusions that your researchers came to) and a complete guide, which has all the notes from the event.
I would love for us not just to produce resources for our own congregations, but also to do it together on this listserv to share and learn from one another. Please email me (thomas@newlifelh.com) your notes when you are done, so that we can learn from one another’s research.
Thanks, and happy voting!