The Mid-Term Elections Are One Month Away: We've got resources to help you bring your faith into action!Religious individuals and groups have played a prophetic role in public life throughout history by calling attention to oppression, demanding change, and holding leaders and institutions accountable for their actions and policies. While this is still true in the United States today, too many people are under the false impression that religious organizations cannot have a voice in the public policy arena, fearing that such activities would violate either the Constitutional separation of church and state or Internal Revenue Service regulations. In reality, there is a great deal of public policy and election-related work that any religious group can do without jeopardizing its nonprofit tax-exempt status.
Unitarian Universalists have a rich history of working to vitalize democratic participation in our political system, dating back to the earliest days of American government. Our fifth principle reads, "We will covenant to affirm and promote the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large." We have long been committed to the belief that our democracy will be enhanced and improved by greater participation.
Faithful Democracy: UU Congregations and the 2006 Elections, authored by the UUA Washington Office for Advocacy, provides the resources you need to put together a complete and successful voting project in your congregation. You will find in-depth information on forming community partnerships and interfaith coalitions and on holding joint voter registration drives. Most resources listed in this resource are web-based.
There are restrictions on certain kinds of political actions that can be taken by religious organizations, but the range of what is acceptable is wide enough to exhaust the time and resources of any congregation without crossing any legal lines. The links below offer a variety of suggestions and tools that can be helpful to you and your congregation as we approach the time when US citizens will exercise that most important of democratic principles - the right to vote.
Before you begin:
We encourage you to read "The Real Rules," information from the UUA's Washington Office on Advocacy designed to clarify Internal Revenue Service guidelines as they relate to religious organizations in the hope that more congregations will (1) choose to become involved in working for justice through advocacy, community organizing, and public education; and (2) know when it is important to seek legal advice.
Learning About Key Issues in Election 2006 
- The Ground Truth is a new documentary film featuring Iraq War veterans. It opened in major cities on Sept. 15, 2006 and is being shown in thousands of congregations and community centers during the week of Oct. 4-11. Visit the film's web site for more information, to sign up for a screening, and help these voices be heard.
- Marriage Equality : There are anti-marriage equality ballot initiatives in a number of states that do not already have Defense of Marriage Act legislation in place. These include Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virgina, and Wisconsin. UUs are organizing in most of these states. See the National Organization for Women's website for for updated information on state ballot initiatives.
For UUA resources see Freedom to Marry, for All People.
- The Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaigns is holding Living Wage Day events on Oct. 7-8 and Oct. 14-15. Legislative efforts to raise the federal minimum wage are gaining strength and a growing number of states have minimum wage campaigns, including six states with ballot initiatives coming to a vote this November: Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Nevada and Ohio. Worship resources and information prepared by the staff of the UU Service Committee, Let Justice Roll, and the UUA, are available on line.
- UUs for Verified Voting works to protect our electoral process and encourages UUs to join Poll Workers for Democracy to ensure that informed and concerned citizens keep elections accountable and accessible to all voters. Read the latest information from UUs for Verified Voting, and contact Heleni Thayre for more information.
- Our financial resources can be used for justice -- to invest in communities too often deprived of capital, hold corporations accountable for their actions, and encourage moral business practices. Learn more on the October 7, 14, 21, 28 and November 4 free one-hour teleconferences being offered by the UUA Committee for Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) on "Making a Difference with Ideals, Impact and Involvement."
- The UU United Nations Office has created a UN Sunday Resource packet to observe the Oct. 24, 1945 anniversary of the birth of the United Nations. The theme for this year's UN Sunday is "Peacebuilding and Sustainable Development in Our Interdependent World Community." Participation is also one way to engage in study and reflection on the new GA Study Action Issue on Peacemaking.
Turning Faith into Action: Ways to Make the Electoral Process More Effective
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How to Hold a Non-partisan Candidate Forum:
This resource can help your congregation hold non-partisan candidate forum. In two pages, this resource walks congregations through the steps of holding a forum, and includes specific guidelines on how to keep an event non-partisan and within the IRS rules for houses of worship.”
- The Interfaith Alliance's One Nation, Many Faiths program provides great information on its website.
- Ben Cohen, founder of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, started True Majority to work for social change. The Voters Come First pledge is designed to support fair elections , public accountability , and voters' right-to-know. To find out more: http://action.truemajority.org/campaign/votersfirst_pledge_pub/explanation
- "Democracy Dispatches" is a blog from Demos, a non-profit organization which seeks to strengthen democracy through increased civic engagement, electoral participation election reform. Democracy Dispatches responds to current events and news through the lens of voter engagement, and includes suggestions for advocacy.
- The United Church of Christ's "Our Faith, Our Vote" site includes practical information and sermon/biblical resources as well.
- National organizations and campaigns for voter empowerment in low-income, immigrant and/or communities of color include:
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