Can I really make an impact in
this year’s elections?
God calls us each to be wise stewards of all the time, talents, and treasure he gives, with an eye on Kingdom efforts. As ambassadors of the Heavenly Kingdom, we must represent godly values in all aspects of our lives: our families, our neighborhoods, and our communities.
Because our communities are run by elected officials, we can only infuse godly principles there by participating in the public square. At minimum, we should vote for candidates who will reflect godly values as often as we can. We have not only a responsibility but also a great opportunity to make an impact . . . but how and where?
Registration is the first step. It may surprise you to know that not every eligible American has taken the first step and registered to vote. Only about 65% of Americans are registered, which means 35% are missing out on their potential for impact!
Where can we make a difference? Many focus on the Presidential election, but it is just one race out of the thousands of races on the ballot this year. With 300 million voters, can your one vote make a difference? Yes, it can! Let’s look at the opportunities.
Primary Elections are Key
These highly influential elections see much lower turnout than the General Election. And turnout makes a big difference. Just consider, in the 2024 General Election:
- The average turnout (based on the last 10 years) is likely to be about 60% of registered voters.
- But only 65% of those eligible are registered.
- So, on
average, less than 40% of eligible adults will participate in this
November’s election.
And because the winner needs 50% plus one (other than the President, which is determined by the Electoral College so that every state gets a proportional voice), just 20% of voters are choosing the winners in races for U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, governor, and state legislators.
In the
primary election, the potential for impact is even greater:
- An average of only 20% of registered voters participate in primaries.
- Because only 65% of eligible adults are registered, this means that only 14% of adults—and just 7% of Americans—are choosing the candidates who will advance to the General Election.
Remember, the primaries are where most legislators are really chosen, because the districts are drawn to favor one party or the other. That means 7% of adults are choosing over 80% of our state and federal legislators!
Local Election Opportunities
The opportunity to impact primary elections is huge . . . but the opportunity is even greater for local or school board elections. In most cases, the average turnout of registered voters is only 6%! And that’s registered voters! That means 4% of adults participate and just 2% are choosing the winner. This helps explain what is going on in our cities and schools. We allowed the activists to take over by staying home or not being informed.
Are you an “Undervoter”?
If you’ve ever skipped a race on your ballot and left it blank, the answer is yes . . . and you aren’t alone!
On average:
- 30% to
45% of ballots have at least one “undervote” in every election.
- In races
that are non-partisan (with no R or D attached to the candidates) the amount of
undervotes balloons to over 50% of ballots.
This tells me that the voter did not lack the motivation to vote. They lacked enough information to make an informed decision and, not wanting to vote for the wrong person, they only voted for the few candidates they knew. Campaign rhetoric and media spin just don’t provide the information voters need to make confident choices!
That lack of information is an opportunity for iVoterGuide to step in and provide. This is precisely why we are expanding to cover more local and school board races, where undervotes are more likely to occur.
Faithful stewardship of these opportunities undergirds the many reasons we should vote. Our heart’s desire is that you would vote wisely by going to iVoterGuide for information before you cast your ballot. We work hard to equip you to be a good steward of your civic responsibility to choose for yourselves leaders “who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and place . . . them as leaders . . .” (Exodus 18:21).
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.
I pray you will take this time to educate others about their opportunity to be an informed voter – and remind them to use iVoterGuide before they go to the polls!
