CatholicVote issues voter guides for 7 states, urging Catholics to head to the polls

CatholicVote has released voter guides for seven states ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms, urging Catholics to defend life and religious liberty at the ballot box.

The guides outline candidates’ positions and explain ballot measures in 24 contests across Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, according to a CatholicVote press release distributed by Christian Newswire.

CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt stressed the importance of Catholic turnout on the voter guide webpage.

“I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have a big Catholic turnout for the midterms,” she said. “If we Catholics and our values aren’t at the table, we are on the menu.”

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In the release, Reinhardt identified the sanctity of life and marriage, immigration and border security, keeping male athletes out of girls’ sports, state and federal judicial appointments, and religious liberty as issues at stake in the midterms.

CatholicVote Director of Political Operations Logan Church outlined the strategy behind the guides.

“We have chosen seven states — a total of 24 races or ballot initiatives — where we know the Catholic turnout can be the make or break difference,” Church said in the release. “Encouraging Catholics to vote early is one of our top priorities.”

Church urged Republicans to move beyond relying on Election Day voting, saying early voting helps prevent unexpected circumstances from keeping them from the polls. She added that campaigns can then focus their resources on people who have yet to vote, potentially reducing calls, mail, and other outreach to those who have already cast ballots.

The voter guide webpage also provides links to register to vote, request an absentee ballot, find a polling place, and learn about early in-person voting. 

The push for Catholic turnout comes as Catholic registered voters are closely divided in this year’s U.S. House races. A Pew Research Center analysis found that 42% supported their district’s Democratic candidate, compared with 39% who backed the Republican, as Zeale News previously reported. Another 19% supported someone else or were unsure.