voting

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 obvious, 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:

Why Should I Vote?

Understanding the Importance of Voting

Every Single Vote Matters

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.

Only Citizens Should Vote: Why Federal Voting Rights May Need a Constitutional Amendment

Last month, Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL) introduced “House Joint Resolution 152” — a constitutional amendment requiring anyone voting for a president, a senator or a member of the House of Representatives, to be a United States citizen.

If you’re wondering why we need an amendment to codify that which everyone has long seemed to know to be law, you wouldn’t be alone.

But writing in this week’s Wall Street Journal, Bradley A. Smith, a former member of the Federal Election Commission, warns about the growing ambiguity surrounding the debate:

When it comes to congressional and presidential elections, Article I of the Constitution grants Congress power to regulate the time, place and manner of holding elections but not who is eligible to vote. The Supreme Court affirmed this in Arizona v. Inter-Tribal Council (2013).

And the Constitution is clear: Under Article I and the 17th Amendment, any person who is allowed to vote in a state legislative election is automatically also allowed to vote for members of Congress. A federal statute can’t trump the Constitution’s explicit, exclusive grant of power to each state to determine who is eligible to vote.

Because federal law can be changed or repealed by a future Congress, Rep. Lee and several of her colleagues are pushing for the amendment.

“It’s simple: only Americans should vote in American elections,” said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). Congresswoman Lee’s amendment is a commonsense proposal that creates a uniform, nationwide standard that will protect federal elections permanently.”

Not too long ago, the idea of limiting voting to only U.S. citizens was a bipartisan principle. President Clinton signed the “Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA),” into law that year. It was passed in the Senate by a vote of 97-3.

“We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws,” said President Clinton. “It is wrong and ultimately self-defeating for a nation of immigrants to permit the kind of abuse of our immigration laws that we have seen in recent years.” 

He added:

“Today’s legislation strengthens the rule of law by cracking down on illegal immigration.”

Rep. Lee’s attempt to clarify and codify this long-supported principle is a much-needed effort, especially given that non-citizens are already voting in some local elections (school board and mayoral elections, etc.) in such places as Washington, D.C., California, Illinois, and Vermont. 

“Relying on statute alone leaves this principle subject to future changes that could undermine this long-standing principle,” Rep. Lee declared. “This amendment ensures that no matter what happens in Washington or at the state level, federal elections will remain reserved for United States citizens.”

Constitutional amendments face a difficult and uphill climb, of course. Rep. Lee’s resolution will need to pass by a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate before heading to the states for ratification by three-fourths or 38 states.