New Jersey Catholic Conference creates a faithful citizenship election guide

The New Jersey Catholic Conference has created a guide on its website with information about the upcoming election that Catholics might find helpful before heading to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

With the deadline to register to vote on Oct. 15, the Voting Essentials webpage offers tips on registering and a link to download a paper application. It also provides details on how to apply for a mail-in ballot or how to vote early.

READ: Cardinal Tobin’s column — We need to participate in politics for the common good

The Candidate Resource Page contains information on all the Senate and Congressional candidates. 

Voters can also access the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) campaign Civilize It, which invites Catholics to model civility and love for neighbors. Catholics are asked to pledge civility, clarity, and compassion in their families, communities, and parishes and call on others to do so during the elections. Information includes A Better Kind of Politics Promotion Packet and 5 Tips from Pope Francis for “a Better Kind of Politics.”

Since parishes and other IRS-designated section 501(c)(3) church organizations are prohibited from participating in political campaign activity, the Voting Essentials webpage offers a Political Activity Dos and Don’ts guide for parishes and Catholic schools.

The New Jersey Catholic Conference (NJCC) is the public policy voice for the Catholic Church in New Jersey and the Catholic bishops who lead each of the Garden State’s six dioceses. NJCC serves as a liaison to lawmakers, government agencies, and institutions and coordinates communications and activities between the bishops and secular agencies. The six Catholic bishops serve as NJCC’s board of directors, or “board of bishops,” which is presided over by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R., the Archbishop of Newark.