This Tuesday is an important election. It carries critical national and local consequences. When I go to the polls in a primary election I always know who I want to vote for in the well-publicized races but I sometimes find myself unprepared and uncertain about how to vote in “lesser” races on the ballot.
This is particularly a challenge when it comes to voting for local judges. Since judicial candidates are not allowed to publicize their party affiliation or their position on significant issues, it makes it difficult for us to be well-informed about them. We may wind up not voting for any of them or just picking someone at random because we like their name or advertising slogan.
One helpful suggestion recently given to me is to go to the internet and print off a Right-To-Life voter guide for your county which discloses all the candidate’s positions on abortion and several other major issues. While a person can be pro-life and not make a good judge, that’s the starting point for me. I refuse to cast a vote for someone who favors terminating the life of a baby in the womb. That issue alone speaks volumes about a person’s character and values.
I’d suggest you perform an internet search for: “Kentucky Right To Life Voter Guide – Jefferson County”. You can even print out their survey and take it with you to the polls on Tuesday. (If you live in another county or state you should be able to make adjustments to the search terms to perform a similar search for your area.)
Some protest, “Well, there are matters other than abortion that we need to consider.” That’s true. But wise believers should prioritize issues. Those who oversee hospital emergency rooms have to prioritize patients. A guy with a sprained wrist isn’t as crucial as a man in the throes of a coronary.
The Apostle Paul wrote about that which was of, “…first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Followers of Jesus Christ need to understand that there are some political issues that are much more important than others. Health care and the economy aren’t as crucial or well-defined as partial-birth abortion or Biblical marriage.
The people we elect to office set the moral tone for the nation. When we vote for those who hold traditional values it sends a clear message about what we stand for and where we want America to go in the future. If believers vote for candidates who have made it clear they oppose Biblical values then it seems to me that they are guilty of spiritual treason.
“When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan” (Proverbs 29:2).
