Local activities and services are also being planned. The details of those will be available soon.
As we approach the upcoming election, tensions are running high and many are wondering what to expect. Please see below for a brief collection of helpful information and resources available throughout the Episcopal Church.
What to Expect This Election
- As votes are counted and called on November 3rd, it may not be immediately clear who has been elected. COVID has resulted in a surge of mail-in ballots, which require a different verification process than in-person ballots.
- It could be days or weeks until we have an official count. Fourteen states have legal restrictions that do not allow them to begin this verification process until election day, so there will still be millions of uncounted ballots by the end of the day.
- The results will likely be contested. We can expect litigation from the losing side and the invoking of the Electoral Count Act, which will require the house and senate to separately determine legitimacy of the submitted electoral certificates. This may be further complicated because the Electoral Count Act does not clearly specify the requirements for legitimacy.
- An opponent may refuse to concede. Though our history contains a reliable pattern of the unelected opponent conceding gracefully, we should be prepared for the tensions, contests, and muddied waters that may follow.
- There may be a tension-ridden transition period.
“In the post-election period, it will be essential for trusted civil society and faith organizations like The Episcopal Church to respond with wisdom and patience. As the Office of Government Relations and The Episcopal Church, we will find trusted sources to keep you updated on what is occurring; please check back regularly for updates. We pray that our Church can always be a voice for peace and justice. We pray for a free and fair election, and we pray that all Americans accept the result of the election. We should also call upon both major political parties to do the same and encourage politicians in both parties to speak out in support of our electoral process as well.”
-Information summarized and excerpted from the Office of Government Relations of the Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Public Policy Network. More information on many of the above points and links to other articles in their series on the election can be found here.
What You Can Do
- The Diocese of Northern California is hosting a two-part reconciliation discussion called With Malice Toward None on November 11 and 18. For more information or to sign up, click here. Other weekly Malice Toward None programming begins October 21, and you can sign up with the same link.
- Sign up for A Season of Prayer: For An Election, hosted by the Forward Movement and The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations. This communal prayer initiative will begin October 27 and last until election day. Each day’s prayers can be found here.
- Join the Washington National Cathedral in their 25 Days of Prayer, as they offer prayers for peace, healing, courage, compassion, and hope.
- Take the Civil Conversation in Uncivil Times course offered by ChurchNext. The course is available for free until October 26, and registration closes on October 25.
- Attend Bishop Michael Curry’s livestream service Holding on to Hope: A National Service for Healing and Wholeness on All Saints’ Day, November 1 at 1 pm Pacific.