Voting is Sacred!
I stood in line to vote for over three hours on Tuesday, October 13, and I have no complaints. It was an honor and a privilege. As the late great John Lewis said, “Your vote is precious, voting is almost sacred.”
I am asking that every member of the church get to the polls early, by October 30, and vote. Allow me to offer advice to those who have not voted.
Be prepared. Take a look at your ballot before you go to vote. Please visit dallasnews.com/voterguide, and click the “Build Your Ballot” tab. They will request your Voter ID number or birth date in order to retrieve your ballot. If possible, print your ballot. This way you can study it and vote effectively.
Stay in your car. If you have health concerns, and physical limitations, consider the voting in your car option. This service should be available at all of the Early Voting sites. As I stood in line, I watched the voting officials roll the mobile voting device to cars waiting in line. This feature eases the voting process greatly.
Be prepared. Bring water and snacks for your voting process. It makes sense to have something to replenish your body if the wait is long. Bring a chair. It makes total sense to sit down, if standing is a problem. I observed a host of chairs in line with me, from lawn chairs to folding chairs.
Round up the posse. This election is of dire consequences. Reach out to your family and friends to encourage them to vote. Let them know that this is an urgent situation, and the decision to “sit this one out” is not an option.
Pray constantly. We are concerned about inappropriate behavior such as voter intimidation during this election season. We are concerned about the potential of violence nationwide after the election. We must call on the name of the Lord to cover this nation. We are a divided nation, and the Bible is clear in Matthew 12:25, “…Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”
Dr. Sheron C. Patterson