For Immediate Release: October 18, 2018
Contact: Erin Williams, ewilliams@faithinaction.org
Jewish, Muslim and Christian Congregations to Pray, Preach, and Organize in Advance of the Election
WASHINGTON – Faith in Action, the nation’s largest network of faith-based groups and congregations, today announced its second and final Voter Sabbath weekends, Oct. 19 through Oct. 21. The network held its first Voter Sabbath of 2018 Sept. 21-23. The multi-faith event includes congregations across the country who have pledged to devote time during their regular worship service to discuss voting and strategies for getting congregants to the polls.
“Voter Sabbath Weekends are an outgrowth of our commitment to ensure Faith in Action congregations are 100 percent voting congregations,” said the Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews, Faith in Action’s Director of Clergy Organizing. “We are hosting the annual Voter Sabbath event to unite congregations across the country in a weekend of preaching, teaching and organizing in preparation for the Nov. 6 election.”
The weekend mobilization is part of the network’s Faith Votes program, where Faith in Action organizers, clergy and volunteers fulfill the organizational pledge of having 1 million, face-to-face conversations with voters this cycle. The Voter Sabbath is also an opportunity to discuss available resources to support voter turnout. For instance, Faith in Action’s LIVE FREE anti-gun violence and mass incarceration campaign is partnering with Lyft which will offer free rides to polling sites across the country.
“Our message is not just, ‘You should vote on Election Day,’ but it’s also, ‘Here are the reasons why you should vote and the resources to support you in casting a ballot,’” said Rev. Mathews.
In addition to the Voter Sabbath, Faith in Action will also support local Souls to the Polls events in states that have early voting such as Ohio and Florida. The Souls to the Polls mobilization will take place the weekends of Oct. 26 and the Nov. 2.
Contact Erin Williams at ewilliams@faithinaction.org for more information.
