Political Series Show 4 "Every Vote Counts, Inside and Out!"

Our bishops wrote in Living the Gospel of Life: "We encourage all citizens, particularly Catholics, to embrace their citizenship not merely as a duty and privilege, but as an opportunity meaningfully to participate in building the culture of life. Every voice matters in the public forum. Every vote counts. Every act of responsible citizenship is an exercise of significant individual power." (34)

We have a duty to vote. That duty flows from the Great Commission, by which the Lord calls us to make disciples and help them carry out his teachings.

Yes in recent election cycles, half of Christians have failed to vote. Following are some comments along these lines from Church officials and pro-life leaders.

Cathleen Cleaver Ruse, Director of Planning and Information for the Pro-life Secretariat of the US Bishops’ Conference: "[The document Living the Gospel of Life] also points out and reminds us it is an obligation as Catholics to be involved in the political process. That's one of the ways that we live the Gospel of Life publicly, which we're called to do. It's not just a matter of private piety you know, to be pro-life in our hearts. We have to be that but also we have to be pro-life publicly. We have to live the Gospel of Life publicly. One of the most fundamental public things that we do is participate in the political life of our country."

Archbishop John Foley, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications at the Vatican: "I even from here remain a registered voter in the United States and I even remain registered in a particular political party basically so that I can vote in favor of pro-life candidates in primary elections. I have voted in every election since I've been here, over twenty years. I am a registered voter from the seminary where I taught. I retain a residence there so it's legitimate that I be able to vote from there. I consider the right to vote as essential in a democracy. If people neglect that basic right I think it borders on the sinful, myself. Because we have to take part in our democratic process. If we are fortunate enough to have it we have to take part in it."

Cardinal Renato Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace:

"Voting is a right and as well as a duty but it is also essential to be informed and to vote as your heart and your conscience tell you."

Bishop Elio Sgreccia, Vice-President of the Pontifical Academy for Life:

"Faithful Christians have a duty to participate in society, participate generally in the common life, by voting so that they may advance the common good. The common good is defined as the good of all, which, however, is achieved through the good of each individual person. And so 'the good of the majority' is not at all the same thing as 'the good of all'. And this duty must be taken seriously by Christians . . . "

Bishop Karl Romer, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Family:

"Every man has the obligation to vote, because by voting he can determine who will be tomorrow's law-maker, who will make tomorrow's laws either to be unjust and perverse, or to promote human values, the youth, authentic idealism, etc. . .

"God asks -- God asks --that every man, every Christian, make his contribution by voting."

Michael Ciccocioppo, Pennsylvania Pro-life Federation:

"In PA we had a situation just within recent years where there was a judicial court election. 2.5 million votes were cast in that election and the pro-abortion candidate beat the pro-life candidate by 27 votes. Don't let anybody think that their vote doesn't matter. Imagine, if on that election day twenty-eight pro-lifers had gone to the polls and voted instead of just not taking the time to do it. We would have a pro-life judge in the Supreme Court of PA right now.

"Not only people themselves who know they won't be in town to get an absentee ballot but people who have frail elderly parents who can't get to the polls. They know they're not going to make it. Help get their parents an absentee ballot. How about other relatives, other friends. If someone has time to go to a nursing home and find out who the people are there who are not going to be able to get out of the nursing home to go and vote. Get them an absentee ballot. Help them get their absentee ballots so their absentee ballot so their votes can be counted."

There are many other examples of close elections. In fact, entire elections are often swayed by numbers smaller than the active members of a single parish.

It would be hard to forget the lesson of the Presidential Election of the year 2000, won by a mere 537 votes in the state of Florida. In that same race, the margin of victory in New Mexico was 366 votes, in Iowa was 4144 votes, in Wisconsin was 5708 votes, in Oregon was 6765 votes, and in New Hampshire was 7211 votes.

In 2002, some of the close races were as follows:

Colorado District 7 - race decided by 121 votes.

South Dakota Senate - race decided by 524 votes

Utah District 2 - race decided by 1641 votes.

And a recent mayoral race in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin was won by a single vote!

Yet votes do not only count "on the outside," that is, in how they influence the actual outcome of elections. They also count on the inside. Whether we respond to God’s call to participate in the process affects our relationship with God. We either succeed or fail to give a faithful response to Him.

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