Faith leaders unite across religions to counter voter intimidation on Election Day

ABC News · PBS NewsHour and PBS NewsHour report that hundreds of clergy and lay volunteers will act as poll chaplains on Nov. 3, aiming to keep voters from being scared off. Faiths United in Saving Democracy, a nonpartisan interfaith and secular coalition, is training and certifying them for battleground states including Arizona, Michigan, Georgia and Texas, among nine in all. Co-founder Barbara Williams-Skinner said 1,235 had signed up as of Oct. 19.

The volunteers, in identifying hats and vests, will remain outside polling sites. Williams-Skinner said this year differs because many fear federal immigration agents could discourage eligible voters, especially in mixed-status families and communities of color. Homeland Security officials have said they plan no deployment to polls, though Secretary Markwayne Mullin said agents might appear to carry out a warrant arrest. Training covers immigrant rights, de-escalation and emergency contacts.

The Rev. Steve Bland, a Detroit pastor who helped shield a vote-counting center from a mob in 2020, said calming words and reassurance can bring voters back; one woman returned with two grandsons who also voted.

Summarized by PolitiKool from ABC News · PBS NewsHour and PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at ABC News · PBS NewsHour → Also at PBS NewsHour →