Christians Must Get Out to Vote This November
Former President Ronald Reagan once called the right to vote “the crown jewel of American liberties.”
Likewise, former President Thomas Jefferson is often quoted as saying, “We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.”
He’s exactly right. Though it may seem obviously, only those citizens who choose to vote every election year hold the power to direct American governance and the course of our nation.
The 2026 midterm election will be held on November 3, though early voting begins weeks earlier in many states. It’s crucial Christian citizens be informed on the issues, make their voices heard and vote according to Christian values. If you’re not already registered to vote, please consider doing so today!
The U.S. Constitution requires a general election be held every four years, where we elect a president, all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of U.S. senators.
In the middle of every president’s term, a midterm election is held, where the nation again elects 435 congressman and another one-third of the Senate, but not a president.
Thousands of state and local candidates are also on the ballot across the country this year, including more than 18,000 school board members – who have a huge impact on our nation’s children.
Additionally, voters in a number of states will weigh in on several ballot measures to determine the law in their states regarding abortion, gambling, saving girls sports, marijuana, “transgender” surgeries for minors and other important issues.
According to George Barna, 32 million Christians who regularly attend church were not likely to vote in the last election. “The 32 million Christians sitting in the pews each week who refuse to vote are a gamechanger,” Barna said.
Voter turnout is lower in midterm elections, making every vote cast even more influential. While over 155 million Americans voted in the 2024 general election, only 108 million voted in the 2022 midterm election.
Focus on the Family believes Christian citizens have a moral duty and sacred responsibility to vote. One of our six “guiding principles” is the importance of social responsibility as we carry out God’s command to care for the well-being of all people. We can do that through voting.
Theologian Wayne Grudem writes in his book Voting as a Christian, “Jesus’ command, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ (Matt. 22:39) means I should seek good laws that will protect preborn children. It means that I should seek good laws that protect marriages and families. It means I should seek good laws that protect children from corrupting moral influences” (emphasis in original).
He adds, “In short, Jesus’ command to ‘love your neighbor’ means that I should seek the good of my neighbors in every aspect of society, including government, by seeking to bring about good government and good laws.”
While some Christians might shy away from politics, many political issues today are moral issues that Christians should have firm convictions about based on Scripture’s teachings.
These issues include:
- The sanctity of human life.
- The importance of religious freedom and free speech.
- The God-given reality of biological sex.
- The definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
- And children’s right to be raised by their mother and father.
Andrew T. Walker, dean of the School of Theology at Southern Seminary, has written, “Policy – the type of policy that has real-world implications on others – may be a more accurate barometer of one’s deepest convictions that have a formative or deformative effect on character than even the words that come out of one’s mouth.”
As we read in Scripture, “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18, ESV). Voting is a real action that Christian citizens can take to positively affect the lives of others.
Christians know that God establishes governments to promote righteousness and justice (Rom. 13:1-4). We also know that “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan” (Prov. 29:1-2).
Please register to vote today and remember to vote on or before November 3. We encourage you to vote for candidates that most align with your Christian values. Check out your state’s secretary of state’s website to find out when voting begins in your state.
And please remember to pray for our nation (1 Tim. 2:1-2)!
Related articles and resources:
Understanding the Importance of Voting
5 Easy Ways Christians Can Get Involved in Politics
Are You Registered To Vote? If Not, Today is the Day to Do It.
Photo from Shutterstock.
