What is at stake in the electoral process? For Lutherans, our response is not exclusively individualistic.
FOUNDATIONS OF OUR CONSIDERATION
The electoral process is one way in the United States that we steward our life together as a nation, care for our neighbor and promote the common good. The topic may get additional attention during an election cycle, but the foundations of its consideration are shaped by a Lutheran understanding of God’s intent to work through human activity to order and provide earthly justice and enough for all. These foundations are expressed in Bible studies and sermon reflections and lived experiences.
“This church teaches that civic engagement is a vital aspect of discipleship for baptized Christians. We have a responsibility not only to fulfill our private roles and functions in life, and to pray for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2), but also to be civically engaged. We do so to act against destructive consequences but also for fair and compassionate governance.” – From the ELCA social message “Government and Civic Engagement in the United States: Discipleship in a Democracy” (p. 13)
Government is conveyed as God’s gift in the social message because “it is intended to do what churches, families, individuals, and businesses cannot do on their own: protect and coordinate the well-being of individuals, communities, and creation” (p. 2). Elections are a moment when faithful civic engagement becomes especially visible as the nation grapples with decisions that will have generational impact for years to come. Elections provide a structured way for people to help shape policies, elect candidates of choice, enact accountability for the well-being of all and ensure that every voice, especially voices from the margins, are heard.
BARRIERS TO ACCESS AND EQUITY
Voter suppression is real. Voting in our nation was first enshrined only for educated white men who owned property. It took more than a century for access to the ballot to meaningfully expand to people of color, women, people with disabilities, people who are low-income, and American Indians and Alaska Natives. From a history of voter suppression in the Jim Crow era to the current climate of restrictive voter laws, many people, particularly people of color, face barriers to their right to vote. “The political health of our nation still suffers from the stain of antidemocratic exclusion. Efforts to restrict access to voting should be condemned and resisted,” notes the social message (p. 9). The need to advocate for just access to the vote continues.
The ELCA social policy resolution “Voting Rights to All Citizens” affirms that “members, congregations, and synods of this church be encouraged to ‘promote public life worthy of the name’ by speaking out as an advocate and engaging in local efforts such as voter registration and supporting legislation to guarantee the right to vote to all citizens.” Many congregations and leaders answer this nonpartisan call through holding registration drives and Get Out The Vote campaigns, among other ways.
DEVELOPMENTS AND TRENDS
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, for example, has had historical value and current relevance in preventing discrimination, improving outcomes for disadvantaged groups, recognizing and addressing historical injustices as they relate to advancing voting rights and fair representation in the United States. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Louisiana v. Callais on Apr. 29, 2026, that the creation of a second majority-Black district in the state of Louisiana was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The historic decision ultimately weakens key provisions of the Voting Rights Act that have historically protected minority demographics by the banning of discriminatory voting practices on the basis of race and the providing of accountability on the outcomes of congressional maps.
“Wider implications of the decision include weakened effectiveness of equal protection challenges and the use of disparate impact analysis as legal tools for accountability on issues related to access in employment, housing and education policy. ELCA individual members, and the ministries and organizations serving those impacted, will begin to see impacts this year, in states racing against primary filing deadlines and widespread longer-term changes to federal policy and election administration in anticipation of the 2028 presidential election,” said Antoine Cummins, ELCA Program Director for Civil Rights. “The faith community has played a pivotal role in the multi-generational struggle to realize the vision of a more equitable multi-racial democracy -and will continue to do so.”
NONPARTISAN WITNESS
A prayer that God’s creative power may be present in our witness concludes the ELCA social statement Faith and Civic Life: Seeking the Well-being of All (p. 71). This prayer includes the petition:
“May we, as your people, join all others of goodwill in the work of government as gift, aspiration, and responsibility to serve the common good of ‘we the people.’”
We are thankful for public servants, election officials, the judiciary and all who strive towards this common goal.
In and out of an election cycle, the ELCA will continue to advance a nonpartisan public witness which encourages participation in the electoral process and advocates for just and equitable access to voting, shaped by our faith convictions. The ELCA does not endorse any particular candidate, party or form of government or strive for a Christian one. Yet in love there is much we can do.
Sign up for updates from the ELCA Advocacy team at elca.org/advocacy/signup, and monitor @socials and this blog for the latest ELCA resources to equip faithful civic engagement.
