“We call upon all elected leaders and elections officials at every level of government to recommit to our core democratic principles, to look within and consider what they themselves can do in this critical hour to uphold the best in our nation’s values.” – Faith leaders’ statement on integrity, safety and fairness in the 2020 U.S Election, Oct. 12, 2020 Send Faith Leaders' Letter on Elections to Secretary of State Please contact your secretary of state and urge her/him to ensure the integrity of the upcoming elections. The Lawyers and Collars voting rights education and protection program has prioritized this messaging for nine states: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin. You may find a sample message and contact information below. Background As Election Day 2020 approaches, the country is facing many challenges and with it growing stress on state and county election officials. Boards of Elections will have to process many more absentee ballots than in past elections because of the pandemic. Older persons who usually make up a significant percentage of poll workers may not be working this year because they are more susceptible to the virus, leading to thinner staffing. A contentious election may also lead to a record turnout. Add to those factors: calls for people to ”protect” election sites with a show of force and persistent disinformation about election “fraud” and a “rigged election.” The Sisters of Mercy signed onto a faith leaders’ statement on integrity, safety and fairness in the 2020 U.S Election that calls “for integrity in the processes that shape our systems of governance and form the basis of our shared wellbeing.” It is important to let your secretary of state know that you expect her/him to adhere to the highest standards to ensure that voters have correct information, that there is no intimidation of voters outside polling places and that all valid ballots are counted, no matter how long it takes. Thank you, Sisters of Mercy Justice Team Sample message you may cut and paste into an email message or into a contact form: As a person of faith, I support a recent statement signed by religious leaders from a variety of faith traditions that calls for safety, integrity and fairness in the current elections. You may read that here: http://nrcat.org/storage/documents/howo-letter-101220-election.pdf I trust you to ensure that voters have correct information, that intimidation of voters outside polling places is not tolerated and that election sites are accessible and safe. I also rely on you to ensure that all valid votes are counted in a fair and transparent manner. I thank you and all of your election workers for your efforts to safeguard our democracy, especially in this contentious election season. And I will be monitoring how well our state protects the sacred right and duty of voting for all citizens. Contact information: Alabama John H. Merrill [email protected] Arizona Katie Hobbs (Contact form) Florida Laura M. Lee [email protected] Georgia Brad Raffensperger (contact form) Michigan Jocelyn Benson (contact form) North Carolina Elaine F. Marshall [email protected] Pennsylvania Kathy Boockvar [email protected] Ohio Frank LaRose (Contact Form) Wisconsin Doug La Follette [email protected] .