Faithful citizenship: plan how you will vote

Maryland will have fewer polling places available on Election Day due to the pandemic. Plan now how you would like to vote.  All registered voters may vote by mail, but you must request a mail-in ballot by October 20.  The State has continued to adjust voting guidelines and deadlines in light of the pandemic; for the most accurate updates, you can visit elections.maryland.gov/elections/2020/index.html.

• October 13: Deadline for voter registration
• October 20: Requests for mail-in ballot must be received
• October 26 ‒ November 2: In-person early voting
• November 3: Election Day

Please visit the Maryland Catholic Conference election page for deadlines, links, candidate surveys for Maryland Congressional candidates, and more: www.mdcatholic.org/elections.  These resources will help you to consider carefully your choices. As Catholics, we have not only the right to vote but, as the Catechism reminds us, an obligation to be engaged in public life: " As far as possible citizens should take an active part in political life."

How do we do this as Catholics? We form our consciences through the teachings of our faith. While many people try to tell us, often loudly, who to vote for, the voice that is the most important is that of Christ. We encourage you to step away from the noise around you, to prayerfully learn about and reflect upon the Church’s teachings, to learn about candidates, and then to vote. 

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, provides a reflection to help guide your discernment. This statement represents the USCCB’s guidance for the Catholic faithful in the exercise of their rights and duties as participants in our democracy.

The full document (English):
www.usccb.org/resources/forming-consciences-for-faithful-citizenship.pdf

The full document (Spanish):
www.usccb.org/resources/forming-consciences-for-faithful-citizenship-spanish.pdf

Finally, you may be interested in this initiative, called Civilize It: Dignity Beyond the Debate, which is designed to encourage civility, clarity, and compassion in the public square.