“Why should I vote?”
I’m sure you’ve been asked this question before. Perhaps you’ve asked it yourself. I receive this question many times for various reasons. Who says you should vote? Does it make a difference? What if you don’t like the choice of candidates; should you still vote?
As the General Election approaches, this question is even more relevant. From Scriptures to civics and family legacies, here are five reasons I believe we must vote.
1. Scripture reveals what government should look like
Is the Bible silent on government and elections? Far from it. Scripture tells us that God ordained civil government to be His servant for our good. (Romans 13:1-4) Conversely, when government does not serve its God-given purpose, the nation tends toward corruption. The influence of Israel’s kings on the people’s behavior is a prime example.
In Proverbs 14:34 we see that “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”
How do we take part in making a nation righteous? We must be salt and light.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.” Matthew 5:13 (ESV)
One of the ways we can be salt to flavor and even preserve the world around us is to influence who manages our government by participating in the election process and voting. When we choose not to vote, we walk away from our chance to make a difference.
2. Scripture is clear that we need to be good stewards of all that God has given us – including our citizenship.
Unlike many Christians before us, we have the ability to direct the course of our nation through our vote. God has given us the privilege of living in the United States, and just as with any other good gift or talent from God, we are called to be good stewards. The blessing carries with it a responsibility.
In Matthew 25, the Master of the servant who has best used his talent says to him, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” As Americans, our vote is one of our ‘talents;’ we must use it wisely.
3. Elected officials determine laws that affect us – whether we vote or not—and those laws affect our ability to live out our beliefs.
Almost every week, a new headline reminds me how the actions of an elected government official—or someone in government who was appointed by an elected official—affects our freedom to live according to our faith:
- A school district policy requiring teachers to use students’ preferred pronouns
- A district court ruling that requires a Christian cake artist to use her services to celebrate a same-sex wedding
- A city council ordinance banning sidewalk counseling and prayer within a certain distance of abortion facilities.
We live with the choices that are made in elections, and the best time and place to stop bad policy is at the ballot box on Election Day.
Even if you don’t have a great choice between the candidates, (which is why primary elections are important), your vote can still slow the overall decline of our country. It takes patience and perseverance.
“When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” Proverbs 29:2
4. Every Vote Matters
You may be convinced about your responsibility to vote, but may still wonder, “does my vote really matter?”
In recent years, more elections than ever are being decided by the slimmest of margins.
iVoterGuide has devoted an entire article on the subject, but one only needs to look at the U.S. Senate Republican primary in Pennsylvania this year, where the winning candidate was decided by less than 1,000 votes. Or consider a U.S. House race in Iowa in 2020, where the margin of victory was a mere six votes! Those six people who voted were the deciding factor between having a Representative whom iVoterGuide rated “Conservative” versus one whom we rated “Verified Liberal.”
Such slim margins are even more common in local races. Don’t leave your future and your children’s future to chance. Your vote matters.
5. We impact future generations.
Our children and our children’s children are impacted by how we vote and by the actions taken by officials we elect—or by judges appointed by elected officials.
The impact of our votes on the judiciary alone is sobering when we look at Roe v. Wade and its reversal after nearly half a century of unconstitutional rule . . . and millions of lives lost. Voters were partially responsible for both decisions made by justices who were appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
We must also remember that we impact our children not just with our vote, but with our example. Are we setting an example of someone who is a conformer to culture, or changer of culture?
Are we leaving a legacy, as our forefathers did for us, as people who would devote our “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor” for liberty—not just ours, but our children’s?
“Duty is Ours, Results are God’s” – John Quincy Adams
Whatever your reason for voting—and as you can see, there are many—it all comes down to duty. Our nation was born from stout-hearted patriots who knew their duty and did it, even when the odds were against them. So even if you have concerns about the integrity of the election process, you still have a civic responsibility to vote.
As you preserve this country by being a good steward of your vote, iVoterGuide is here to give you information on the candidates so that you can choose wisely and elect those who most closely share your values.
By arming ourselves with facts and testing those facts against prayerful reflection and biblical values, we can be assured that we have made informed choices and carried out our duty regardless of the outcome.
Please use this email to educate others about why they should vote—and remind them to use iVoterGuide before they go to the polls.
Note: The article above was shared by Debbi Wuthnow with iVoterguide.
