Fr. Frank Pavone: Voter Registration
May 2nd, 2006
In a few days we’re going to announce “National Voter Registration Sundays,” on which we invite pastors to conduct the voter registration drives in the Churches. Of course, this can be done on any day of the year, but to have certain days designated in this way helps people to pay attention to it and to join in an effort that goes beyond their own parish.
We’ve done this long enough to know exactly what some of the reaction will be.
Some will maintain, because of really bad legal advice that their really overprotective attorneys have given them, that the Church “can’t do this” because it’s “too political” and “will endanger the tax-exempt status of the Church.” To the pastors who get this advice, I say get another attorney, and to the attorneys who give this advice, I say go back to school.
Others, aware that the IRS explicitly states that Churches can conduct non-partisan voter registration drives, will have a ridiculous standard for what “non-partisan” means. They will say, for example, that a pro-life group like ours that focuses on abortion cannot do a “non-partisan” drive, because we zero in on one issue. But they miss the point about what non-partisan means. Focusing in on one issue is the right of any organization. But when we do a voter registration drive, we do not say, “Register to vote only if you’re a Republican.” We are a non-partisan organization conducting non-partisan activity. If focusing on abortion in effect favors one or another candidate or party, that’s because of the position that the candidate or party takes, not because of us. Candidates can change positions tomorrow. Our message is always the same.
Not only that, but we are not the ones coming into the Churches to do the voter registration drives. We are prompting parishes and dioceses to do it themselves, and providing the reasons and motivation.
We’re ready for the objections; we’re ready, too, for the many good pastors and congregations that will respond to the call to DO SOMETHING, starting with empowering their people to vote. Look for our press release on this later in the week.
~Fr. Frank Pavone
In a few days we’re going to announce “National Voter Registration Sundays,” on which we invite pastors to conduct the voter registration drives in the Churches. Of course, this can be done on any day of the year, but to have certain days designated in this way helps people to pay attention to it and to join in an effort that goes beyond their own parish.
We’ve done this long enough to know exactly what some of the reaction will be.
Some will maintain, because of really bad legal advice that their really overprotective attorneys have given them, that the Church “can’t do this” because it’s “too political” and “will endanger the tax-exempt status of the Church.” To the pastors who get this advice, I say get another attorney, and to the attorneys who give this advice, I say go back to school.
Others, aware that the IRS explicitly states that Churches can conduct non-partisan voter registration drives, will have a ridiculous standard for what “non-partisan” means. They will say, for example, that a pro-life group like ours that focuses on abortion cannot do a “non-partisan” drive, because we zero in on one issue. But they miss the point about what non-partisan means. Focusing in on one issue is the right of any organization. But when we do a voter registration drive, we do not say, “Register to vote only if you’re a Republican.” We are a non-partisan organization conducting non-partisan activity. If focusing on abortion in effect favors one or another candidate or party, that’s because of the position that the candidate or party takes, not because of us. Candidates can change positions tomorrow. Our message is always the same.
Not only that, but we are not the ones coming into the Churches to do the voter registration drives. We are prompting parishes and dioceses to do it themselves, and providing the reasons and motivation.
We’re ready for the objections; we’re ready, too, for the many good pastors and congregations that will respond to the call to DO SOMETHING, starting with empowering their people to vote. Look for our press release on this later in the week.
~Fr. Frank Pavone
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