I published a story last week at Barn Raiser, a newish publication intended for rural and small town communities. This story was published as part of the UN sponsored, Democracy Day. Below are some excerpts from The Christian Right’s Playbook to Elect Donald Trump in November: And how voters can use the tools of democracy to counter their plans.
For the past half century, the Christian Right has been mastering the tools of electoral democracy in order to erode and end it. The methods and the players have evolved over time, but the goal of societal dominion has not. Today, leaders of the Christian Right have amassed considerable political power in many parts of the country and in the Republican Party.
Paradoxically, they have been remarkably open about their political strategy. This is the story of one key strategic initiative and how to counter it.
In March, Lance Wallnau, a leading strategist on the Christian Right who many consider to be a prophet and an apostle, told an audience of prospective activists at an Arizona church, “there are 3,143 counties in the United States and the Lord showed us that 19 are going to determine the future of America.” (Last year he said it was 14, but apparently the Lord’s plans changed.)
For more than a year, Apostle Wallnau and the America First Policy Institute, a think tank staffed primarily by figures from the Trump administration and his past election campaigns, have targeted these 19 counties, located in nine battleground states.
I wrote about the 19 county strategy here a few months ago, so I won’t belabor it in this piece. However the key to this element, and to the national Christian Right stragegy is not only the customary approaches to voter mobilization, but adding in a focus on early voting.
But there are ways to counter the Christian Right’s electoral strategy in the 19 counties and beyond.
Early voting typically means that wait times and lines are shorter, and voters need not worry about extreme weather events that are due to climate change. For community organizers, the longer voting periods provide an opportunity to bank early votes rather than rely on last-minute get-out-the-vote efforts.
To underscore how much of an advantage this can be, let’s look at when early voting begins in just the Tier 1 states.
In Pennsylvania, early voting by way of mail-in ballots, cast in-person or at drop boxes, begins on September 16—50 days before the election. One can apply for absentee or mail in ballots as early as April. However, implementation of when you can receive and cast them, varies greatly by county. In the four counties targeted by the Christian Right, “absentee or mail in” ballots will be available in Bucks County, Montgomery County, Allegheny County early to mid-October. In Chester Country, “Mail-in ballot drop boxes open: October 22.”
Other states are less complicated. In Wisconsin, early voting begins 14 days preceding the election and ends the Sunday before the Tuesday election, but that may also depend on where you live. Nevada early voting, begins Saturday, October 19, and runs through Friday, November 1. In Arizona, early voting begins 27 days before the election, and ends the Friday before the election.
While many nonprofit organizations and government agencies provide generally excellent voter information, those that mention early voting may tell you when it ends, but few say when it begins. New Georgia Project stands out as one that does. Early voting in Georgia begins on October 15 and ends on November 1.
In most states, you may not need an excuse to vote early, although in some states you do and in others you may need to request an absentee or “mail in” ballot well in advance.
Looking ahead, expanded voting options will need to be woven more deeply into our political culture in order to sustain and increase democratic participation and accessibility.
Campaigns to counter the Christian Right’s 19-county strategy might also help citizens build the knowledge and skills needed to participate more fully in our democracy. Such campaigns help citizens build the knowledge and skills needed to participate more fully in our democracy.
Here are some reliable voter resources:
- The United States Election Assistance Commission links to official state and county election sites, which in turn provide comprehensive information about such matters as voter eligibility, registration, absentee ballots, and early voting. You can also find out about how to become an election worker.
- The National Conference of State Legislatures has resources on online voter registration, the state by state rules for in-person early voting and drop boxes.
- Vote411.org, a project of the League of Women Voters, has a state by state chart of the rules on voter eligibility, registration, absentee ballots, and early voting. It does not have this information on ballot harvesting—but Ballotpedia does.
- Campus Vote Project has a guide for student voters. VoteRider helps eligible voters to get the appropriate ID they need to vote. The National Coalition for the Homeless explains how you do not have to be housed to be able to vote. The Federal Voter Assistance program assists overseas citizens and military service members and their families.
- Accessible Voting is an excellent and reliable non-partisan resource intended to aid people with disabilities find accessible voting options. U.S. Vote Foundation also has a guide to voting access for people with disabilities.
- NonProfit Votes has the do’s and don’ts for non-profit tax-exempt organizations that want to engage in voter education and mobilization. The National Council of Churches has published a Voting Matters 2024 Empowerment Guide. The guide includes theological grounds for voting, scriptures, critical IRS information for churches, outreach activities and tips for navigating conversations about elections.
This story was republished on Monday at the Bucks County (PA) Beacon
