How do I decide who to vote for?

The 2020 presidential elections are one month away. As a white, home owning, middle class, employed, English speaking citizen of the United States, it is possible that the outcome of this election may not have a huge impact on my personal life. However, I have neighbors that I know and that I do not know whose safety, security, and well-being is hanging on this election. Their future is on the ballot, and I am voting.

As I read the Bible, I see a recurring theme of caring for the vulnerable and the marginalized. Repeatedly, God's word reminds us to care for the poor, for orphans, for widows, and for sojourners, or immigrants (James 1:27, Exodus 23:9, Deuteronomy 24:19, Deuteronomy 27:19, Zechariah 7:9-10, Jeremiah 7:5-7, Malachi 3:5). One way to care for the marginalized in my current context is to vote for candidates and policies that will serve these people by protecting them and promoting their inherent human dignity.

When I vote, I want to remember that everyone on earth is created in the image of God and has inherent dignity and worth. When I vote, I want to think about the power that I have that many other image bearers do not have. When I vote, I want it to be for candidates and policies that will help the powerless even if those candidates and policies may not be the best for my bank account or retirement plan. Until power is equally distributed, I am not voting for me.

What power do I have? Who is most powerless in the areas where I have the most power? How can my vote be for the flourishing of the people who have the least amount of power?

I have power because I am able-bodied. Which candidates or policies will best serve people who have vision impairment, people who use wheelchairs, people who communicate with sign-language, and people who experience other physical or intellectual disabilities or mental health conditions?

I have power because I am employed, even during a pandemic. Which candidates or policies will best serve people who are unemployed?

I have power because I speak English. Wherever I go in this country, I can find people who will understand me. I do not have to think twice before I enter a school or bank or doctor's office and worry about being understood. No one questions where I am from or if I am American when they hear me speak. People that I talk to don't slow down or speak louder because they think I won't understand them. Which candidates or policies will best serve people who do not speak English in our country?

I have power because I have health insurance. If I am sick or injured, I go to the doctor or the hospital and my insurance pays for most of it. I can go to the doctor when I am well for preventative care. Which candidates or policies will best serve people who are sick or injured or need medication or medical treatment and do not have health insurance?

I have power because I am a Christian. I suppose some may argue that being a Christian does not give me power. However, I can find a place of worship in my community that believes the same thing I believe. Christian holidays are days off for me at work. I do not have to explain my faith traditions, and assumptions and stereotypes about my faith cannot easily be made based on my clothing. Which candidates and policies will best serve people who practice other religions in our country?

I have power because I live in the United States. Our politicians make decisions that affect the well-being of people around the world. Which candidates and policies will best serve and protect people who live far away?

I have power because I am White. Which candidates and policies will best serve people of color? Which candidates and policies will prevent police brutality? Which candidates and policies will dismantle white supremacy? Which candidates and policies will promote equity?

I have power because I am straight and cisgender. Which candidates and policies will best serve people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer?  

I have power because I am a citizen of the United States. Which candidates and policies will best serve refugees and immigrants who seek to come to our country for safety, protection, or opportunity? Which candidates and policies will treat these groups humanely, provide equitable education access, and keep families together?

I have power because I can vote. Not all citizens of our country can do that. Residents of Puerto Rico are US citizens, but they cannot vote for the president of the United States or for any voting members of congress, even though the US president and congress make decisions that affect Puerto Ricans. Depending on the state, people may not be able to vote if they are incarcerated, on parole, or on probation. Which candidates and policies will best serve the disenfranchised? 

Which candidates or policies will best serve single parents? Which candidates or policies will best serve pregnant mothers? Which candidates or policies will best serve indigenous people groups in our country? Which candidates or policies will best serve military veterans? Which candidates or policies will best serve people who are homeless? Which candidates or policies best serve people who have addictions? Which candidates or policies best serve children? Which candidates or policies best serve babies before and after they are born?

Which candidates and policies best serve the most vulnerable, marginalized, and powerless people in my community?

Taking these things into consideration requires a great deal of reading, listening, and learning. If I intend to use my vote on behalf of the people of Puerto Rico, the unemployed, or uninsured, then I need to listen to the people of Puerto Rico, the unemployed, and the uninsured so that I know what they need from their leaders instead of assuming that I know their needs better than they do.

This voting philosophy extends beyond presidential elections to all of the other offices on our ballots. When I realize that my vote affects the real lives of real people, then I want to know more about the referendums, commissioners, prosecutors, engineers, judges, and sheriffs on the ballot. All of the local offices that I am tempted to skip over on my ballot can have a profound effect on the lives of my neighbors. This means that voting is more than just showing up and marking a box or filling in a bubble. Voting means doing research on candidates and issues, listening to other people, and educating myself. Voting is one way to love my neighbor.