It’s mid-August, and November feels like light-years away. But the truth is, it’ll be here before you know it. And when it comes, you’ll likely start scrambling to figure out what to do about Election Day on Nov. 3.
Because Election Day will come unexpectedly like a thief in the night, in the same way that magically one morning we wake up to find out it’s no longer summer, it’s never too early to begin thinking about Election Day and engaging in action. Here are some tips and suggestions I’d like to offer on that front.
Be Well-Formed. Our Catholic faith calls us to dutifully participate in civic life. Jesus calls us to bring our faith into every aspect of who we are and what we do. He calls us to be a light to the world and salt of the earth. We shouldn’t separate our faith from our public life. Instead, like the Nebraska Catholic Conference’s vision statement: Bear the light of Christ in the public square. We want Christ to shape our social and political order.
In our public witness, we should be well-formed in our Catholic faith.
Even after a decade-plus doing public policy work for the Church, I have plenty of days where I need to refresh myself on the basics of Catholic social teaching. Too often, I forget key principles I’m called to live. Other times, I simply haven’t thought about a particular issue for some time and need a crash course.
Don’t be afraid to pause from the fast pace of life, study the faith, pray with what you’re learning and apply these truths in your daily civic life.
Election Day Doesn’t Exist. Election Day is more like Election Month these days. Early voting begins on October 5, nearly one month before Election Day.
Plenty of people still go to the voting booths at their local polling places on Election Day. But lots of people vote early. Roughly 58% of Nebraskans voted at the polls on Election Day in 2024. Around 35% voted early.
While having conversations about the upcoming election a few days before Election Day are still important, any number of your family, friends, fellow parishioners and neighbors are voting well before Election Day.
Evangelize Early & Often. Since people start voting a month before Election Day, it’s critical we start the conversation on elections much sooner than a few days before Election Day.
If we want to help increase voter turnout, we should be doing that well ahead of October.
If we want to make sure Catholics are well formed on key issues, we need to be doing that well ahead of October. And, as we know, formation isn’t a one-time event. It’s an ongoing labor of love.
Get Educated on the Candidates and Ballot Issues. Over the years, I’ve thought of voting as a two-step process. Step #1 is understanding Catholic social teaching. Step #2 is applying those teachings and principles as they relate to different candidates and ballot issues.
Both steps take work. It’s tough work getting to know the candidates and issues. That work is detailed and requires research. There’s not an easy button or shortcut for exercising an informed conscience. You’ve just got to buck up and do the work.
But the good news is there are plenty of resources for learning about candidates and issues. You can check out candidate or ballot issue websites, look up and review voter guides (both from groups you align with and those you don’t), call or e-mail candidates to ask additional follow-up questions, attend candidates’ debates or forums, or talk to people who may know the candidates or understand the issues better.
With candidate and ballot issues information in hand, you can apply your well-formed conscience to make the best decisions on who to vote for or how to vote on a ballot question.
As we hang around here in the heat of mid-August, don’t hesitate to start conversations with those around you about the upcoming election. You’ll not only be doing a good turn for your community, but you’ll be demonstrating your faithfulness to God.
Tom Venzor is the executive director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, headquartered in Lincoln. Contact him at tvenzor@necatholic.org.
READ MORE FROM THE CATHOLIC VOICE:
TONY WEBSTER VIA CREATIVE COMMONS
Commentary
Evangelize the Vote
August 17, 2026
It’s mid-August, and November feels like light-years away. But the truth is, it’ll be here before you know it. And when it comes, you’ll likely start scrambling to figure out what to do about Election Day on Nov. 3.
Because Election Day will come unexpectedly like a thief in the night, in the same way that magically one morning we wake up to find out it’s no longer summer, it’s never too early to begin thinking about Election Day and engaging in action. Here are some tips and suggestions I’d like to offer on that front.
Be Well-Formed. Our Catholic faith calls us to dutifully participate in civic life. Jesus calls us to bring our faith into every aspect of who we are and what we do. He calls us to be a light to the world and salt of the earth. We shouldn’t separate our faith from our public life. Instead, like the Nebraska Catholic Conference’s vision statement: Bear the light of Christ in the public square. We want Christ to shape our social and political order.
In our public witness, we should be well-formed in our Catholic faith.
Even after a decade-plus doing public policy work for the Church, I have plenty of days where I need to refresh myself on the basics of Catholic social teaching. Too often, I forget key principles I’m called to live. Other times, I simply haven’t thought about a particular issue for some time and need a crash course.
Don’t be afraid to pause from the fast pace of life, study the faith, pray with what you’re learning and apply these truths in your daily civic life.
Election Day Doesn’t Exist. Election Day is more like Election Month these days. Early voting begins on October 5, nearly one month before Election Day.
Plenty of people still go to the voting booths at their local polling places on Election Day. But lots of people vote early. Roughly 58% of Nebraskans voted at the polls on Election Day in 2024. Around 35% voted early.
While having conversations about the upcoming election a few days before Election Day are still important, any number of your family, friends, fellow parishioners and neighbors are voting well before Election Day.
Evangelize Early & Often. Since people start voting a month before Election Day, it’s critical we start the conversation on elections much sooner than a few days before Election Day.
If we want to help increase voter turnout, we should be doing that well ahead of October.
If we want to make sure Catholics are well formed on key issues, we need to be doing that well ahead of October. And, as we know, formation isn’t a one-time event. It’s an ongoing labor of love.
Get Educated on the Candidates and Ballot Issues. Over the years, I’ve thought of voting as a two-step process. Step #1 is understanding Catholic social teaching. Step #2 is applying those teachings and principles as they relate to different candidates and ballot issues.
Both steps take work. It’s tough work getting to know the candidates and issues. That work is detailed and requires research. There’s not an easy button or shortcut for exercising an informed conscience. You’ve just got to buck up and do the work.
But the good news is there are plenty of resources for learning about candidates and issues. You can check out candidate or ballot issue websites, look up and review voter guides (both from groups you align with and those you don’t), call or e-mail candidates to ask additional follow-up questions, attend candidates’ debates or forums, or talk to people who may know the candidates or understand the issues better.
With candidate and ballot issues information in hand, you can apply your well-formed conscience to make the best decisions on who to vote for or how to vote on a ballot question.
As we hang around here in the heat of mid-August, don’t hesitate to start conversations with those around you about the upcoming election. You’ll not only be doing a good turn for your community, but you’ll be demonstrating your faithfulness to God.
Tom Venzor is the executive director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, headquartered in Lincoln. Contact him at tvenzor@necatholic.org.
READ MORE FROM THE CATHOLIC VOICE: