Religious voters to have a big say following contentious campaign
Following months of acrimonious campaigning and nasty rhetoric, Americans on Tuesday cast their votes to decide between giving President Trump another four-year term or whether to elect challenger Joe Biden.
As was the case in 2016, voters hailing from various faith traditions are once again expected to make the difference as both men look to clinch 270 Electoral College votes.
An estimated 100 million Americans have already cast ballots — either through the mail or in early voting — as the country continues to struggle with the pandemic.
Biden comes into Election Day leading in several national polls, while Trump hopes to eclipse that advantage by capturing battleground states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Florida.
The first polls close at 6 p.m. Eastern Time in Indiana and Kentucky. The last polls in Alaska close Wednesday at 1 a.m. Eastern.
8:01 a.m. ET: Biden started off the day with a stop at St. Joseph’s on the Brandywine in Wilmington, Delaware, with his wife Jill and two of their grandchildren. After the brief stop, the walked over to the grave of his late son Beau, who is buried in the church cemetery.
Biden, a Roman Catholic, has made his faith a focal point of his presidential campaign. If elected, the former vice president would be only the second Catholic to occupy the White House since John F. Kennedy in 1960.
8:30 a.m.: Biden also called on people to vote.
10:05 a.m.: Trump, known for his tweeting, did the same. He will need his base — including evangelicals — to come out for him in large numbers like four years ago.
10:30 a.m.: As voters endured long lines in Pennsylvania, a state both Biden and Trump need to win, the Amish put together a “Trump train” to show their support for the president. Some 90,000 Amish residents of Pennsylvania are expected to vote.
Trump, meanwhile, has also received love from people who can’t vote for him, including this past weekend from Jews in Israel. About 70% Jewish Israelis say Trump is their preferred candidate when asked about the potential benefit to their country, according to a survey from the Israel Democracy Institute.
10:31 a.m.: And dozens of Christians in Nigeria.
10:35 a.m.: Prayers and best wishes were also extended to Trump in India.
10:40 a.m.: But Indians also prayed for Biden’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, the first vice-presidential nominee of Indian ancestry. Her mother was a practicing Hindu.
10:45 a.m.: Meanwhile, the Catholic vote will once again be key, especially in Rust Belt states, as issues like abortion and religious liberty resonate with traditional Catholics who attend Mass every Sunday. This group tends to vote Republican.
10:59 a.m.: Not everyone, of course, supports Trump. Biden, a Democrat, could very well win the national Catholic vote.
11:30 a.m.: Biden also visited his hometown of Scranton, using it as one last effort to campaign in Pennsylvania. He even signed the walls of his childhood home, writing, “From this house to the White House with the grace of God. Joe Biden 11-3-2020.”
12:05 p.m.: In the battleground state of Florida, Hispanics could very well make the difference in the final outcome. Trump won Florida in 2016 — and this time it could be Latino evangelicals who make the difference. Democrats hope to counter those efforts by highlighting Trump’s stance on immigration.
12:48 p.m.: Some Trump voters could stay away from the polls this year, finding solace in Trump having successfully appointed three Supreme Court justices. The new 6-3 conservative majority, following Senate approval of Amy Coney Barrett, will make it difficult for a possible Biden administration to enact progressive reforms.
A contested election, however, could come down to a Supreme Court decision, something Democrats are warning about as millions continue to vote.
1:05 p.m.: Luzerne County, located in northeastern Pennsylvania, voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and again in ‘12. The country, where Catholics are a majority, flipped to Trump in 2016. The county says it has begun processing 52,000 mail-in ballots and expects the number to grow to 60,000 by the time polls close at 8 p.m. ET.
Both candidates will need to win the county, and much of rural Pennsylvania, in order for either of them to capture the presidency.
1:36 p.m.: Trump continues to divide Christians. Whether Trump wins re-election or not, expect more of the following in the months and years to come.
1:46 p.m.: Celebrities love to be politically active, choosing this election season to back either Trump or Biden. Not everyone has gone that route. Patricia Heaton, a devout Catholic famous for her role on the sit-com Everyone Loves Raymond, said political parties can’t save the country. Rather, she called on people to replace the “hate in your heart with love.”
2:01 p.m.: Religion Unplugged has spent the past few months brining readers some of the best election coverage out there. Our own Mattie Townson profiled the oldest Black church in Alabama and how they are helping bring people to the polls to help Biden win.
Another piece worth highlighting while you wait in line at your polling station is Bobby Ross Jr.’s weekend plug-in. In the latest edition of his Friday column, he looks at faith, politics and what to watch for on Election Night.
2:08 p.m.: Michigan, one of those swing states Trump has been campaigning hard in, could be decided by Muslim-American voters. Muslims make up a small share of the national population — less than 1% of voters in the 2018 midterms — but have increasingly become a force in the state.
Since Trump’s margin of victory was so narrow the last time around, the Muslims there could tilt the state for Biden. Most Muslim-Americans identify as Democrats. How important is Michigan? Trump held his final rally of the campaign there on Monday night.
2:20 p.m.: Pew Research found earlier this year that one-third of Americans say they see God’s hand in presidential elections.
2:29 p.m.: For those of you interested in election data and trends, do yourself a favor and read Ryan Burge, an assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University. He is also a regular contributor to Religion Unplugged.
3:09 p.m.: Another religious group who could help either Trump or Biden are Mormons. In Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina and Florida, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may make the difference. With all those states still in play, Mormons, once reliably GOP voters, care about issues like religious freedom. Nonetheless, they could end up going for Biden.
3:15 p.m.: It’s 2020. What if the presidential race ends in a tie?
3:22 p.m.: Democrats and Republicans aren’t the only political parties trying to attract religious voters. As our own Timothy Nerozzi reported last month, Christians could elect to vote third party. Also, Kanye West is also running and qualified for ballot access in 12 states.
3:33 p.m.: The presidential race isn’t the only thing on the ballot. Control of the Senate will also be decided. The GOP currently hold a 53-47 majority. That means Democrats need to net three seats to force a tie. Should the Dems also win the White House, Harris would break the tie.
Catholics, so essential a voter bloc in swing states, could end up splitting their vote. That could mean Biden wins the White House, but Republicans hold off a red wave and retain control of the Senate.
The polls remain open for a few more hours on the East Coast. Check out here what time the polls close in your state. Go out and vote if you haven’t already.
3:46 p.m.: After 10 rallies in two days, Trump made a stop to his campaign headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, to thank staffers and volunteers.
Trump plans to watch the returns from the White House, inviting 400 people to the party, while Biden and Harris are expected to be in Wilmington, Delaware.
3:51 p.m.: Labor leaders joined clergy in calling for all votes to be counted. U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Thomas Donohue, National Association of Evangelicals President Walter Kim, AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka and National African American Clergy Network Co-Convener Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner joined forcers, saying ballots should all be counted in accordance with applicable laws.
“As leaders in business, labor, and the faith community, we celebrate the record turnout this election has produced,” the group said in a news release. “With voting ending today, it is imperative that election officials be given the space and time to count every vote in accordance with applicable laws. We call on the media, the candidates and the American people to exercise patience with the process and trust in our system, even if it requires more time than usual. It is important to remember that challenges are a normal part of every election. We are confident our country and its institutions can rise to this historic moment.”
4:06 p.m.: The uncertainty surrounding the election has raised fears of civil unrest across the country once a winner is declared. Orthodox Jews (and even a centrist Democrat who is unobservant), as Religion Unplugged’s executive editor Paul Glader reports, have been hitting the gun range.
4:45 p.m.: Has the election got you stressed. Religion News Service has these spiritual self-care activities to get you through it.
Catholics out there looking for some relief through prayer, here are 13 saints, according to America magazine, that can help you cope. At the same time, James Martin, writing for America, offers up some Jesuit tools to help you survive the election and its aftermath.
4:50 p.m.: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio reports that GOP turnout in Florida has reached “historic proportions.” Strong turnout in Republican precincts is what Trump needs to win the state again.
Rubio, a practicing Catholic who ran for president unsuccessfully four years ago, also used Twitter to quote Scripture.
4:56 p.m.: As everyone awaits exit polling data at 5 p.m. ET, here’s what the polls, put together by Morning Consult, looked like heading into Election Day. The RealClearPolitics average of polls has Biden leading nationally, although the race has tightened in several battleground states.
5:13 p.m.: Exit polls are starting to trickle out. The data may not be as reliable like in years past given that so many people voted early or via mail.
Having said all that, here’s a link to Morning Consult, which conducted their own exit polls, and national data regarding the presidential race conducted by Edison Research for the National Election Pool.
5:58 p.m.: It’s close to dinner for many of you. Election Night is always a great evening to order takeout and watch the results with friends.
What’s your favorite Election Night food?
6:01 p.m.: The polls have closed in Indiana and Kentucky, the first two states where voting has come to an end.
For all the results, throughout the night and possibly into the wee hours of Wednesday (and beyond), check here for updates.
Clemente Lisi is a senior editor and regular contributor to Religion Unplugged. He is the former deputy head of news at the New York Daily News and teaches journalism at The King’s College in New York City. Follow him on Twitter @ClementeLisi.