How religious communities are working to ensure a free & fair election

A conversation with Emma Petty Addams of Mormon Women for Ethical Government

You’ve heard Ian Bassin say it before. You may have heard me say it before: to protect democracy you have to bring together a broad coalition of people who might have major disagreements on politics and policy but who are willing to come together to prioritize its defense. 

Amidst wars, rising hate crimes and stark polarization, it is harder than ever to build a broad, pro-democracy coalition together – and this difficulty is felt even more acutely by faith leaders who are often charged with care for their communities. Our Faith in Elections Playbook, in partnership with Interfaith America, helps equip religious leaders with what they need to take action in line with their values. 

Emma Petty Addams is one of the most dedicated leaders combining her faith with pro-democracy values. She is co-executive director of Mormon Women for Ethical Government. MWEG is a cross-partisan network of over 10,000 women across 49 states who approach politics with clear principles and a spirit of peacemaking. MWEG has been a crucial faith-based anchor of the pro-democracy coalition and a cornerstone of several key victories, including updating the Electoral Count Act. 

On April 11th, Emma and I will take part in a webinar for religious leaders, “Faith in Elections: Inspiring Trust in Elections in Divided Times.” You can register for that webinar here. 

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As we reach the six-month mark for the Faith in Elections Playbook, Emma and I discussed what it means to be a person of faith working to protect our democracy — and the path ahead. 

Thanks for joining us, Emma. When you and I spoke on a panel last year, you told the audience about the founding of MWEG. That story is such a great example of the way religious communities can be a home for people who do not feel alignment with either political party. Can you briefly tell me about MWEG’s origin story? 

Ours is a true grassroots story. A small group of friends who had various ideological leanings were discussing their concerns about the direction of the country and, late one night in early 2017, MWEG founder Sharlee Mullins Glenn decided to start a Facebook discussion group where she could bring in other women to talk about this topic. They thought it would be just a handful of friends, but within days, the numbers swelled into the thousands as friends kept inviting friends who invited friends.

The group was given the name of “Mormon Women for Ethical Government,” and the founders wrote principles and guidelines, setting up rules for discussion that included the Principles of Peacemaking. But they were anxious to do something, not just talk about issues, so it became one of our foundational principles to be proactive, eventually leading to formal advocacy work alongside the bridge-building happening within discussion spaces. 

Since that day over seven years ago, hundreds of women have given their time to build an organization, followed by thousands more who felt the call to bring their faith to the public sphere in a way that is peaceful, nonpartisan and proactive.

Our shared work is centered around helping religious communities take quieter actions to protect our election system, including items like recruiting poll workers, serving as poll chaplains and sharing accurate information about our elections. Why do you think this work is important? 

A functioning democracy relies on the participation of everyday citizens. Being a poll worker, for example, gives participants an opportunity to see the brilliance of our election system up close. They can then share their experiences with others, serving as witnesses to the integrity of their fellow citizens and the remarkable strength of our electoral system. Women of faith from our community are natural candidates for this work, bringing a commitment to supporting their fellow Americans by jumping in and filling an important need. For example, one MWEG member, Tricia, saw a need for poll workers, saying to herself, “Somebody should do something about that. Then I realized, I am somebody.” Her story of serving as a poll worker has inspired many others to raise their hands and do the same. 

We also think it’s vital to educate the general public on the way the election system works so that when it is questioned or attacked, they have facts. The work to put good information in front of voters is the work of elevating objective truth, cultivating a shared reality, restoring trust and, ultimately, building peace.

One of my biggest lessons from this work has been the importance of meeting folks where they are and trying to empower them, rather than trying to force them to adapt to the precise way Protect Democracy may want them to engage. I’ve been encouraged by the reaction I get when I tell leaders, “we have the information, but this is designed for you to make it your own. This is to inform your work, not co-opt it.” What has been your biggest lesson so far? 

In a time when fear of each other is high and loneliness is considered by many to be an epidemic, we have found that the antidote for anxiety is peaceful and effective action, especially when undertaken alongside others. Providing good resources and then supporting people as they tailor their engagement to their time, skills, knowledge, and circumstances is incredibly empowering and the best pathway toward meaningful impact. The power of connecting everyday citizens with the opportunity to act in meaningful, principled ways can't be overstated. These patterns of engagement help fulfill the promise of our democracy and, on an individual level, provide a sense of self-efficacy and hope that fuels additional engagement.

Your organization is a collection of women who share a religious tradition, but you are not affiliated officially with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You often remind me of the importance of speaking not just to the formal leaders of religious denominations and institutions, but also the everyday lay leaders. Why is that important for us to consider? 

We have found that this sort of informal organizing more accurately mimics the patterns of democracy that we want to foster. People of faith will be most effective when they act from personal conviction and experience. Many of the most constructive democratic efforts happen locally and are grounded in community trust, and lay leaders are often in the best position to understand the tensions in their communities and to have the requisite trust to shore up democratic processes. Over the past seven years, we have watched thousands of MWEG women (who are also often lay leaders at church) step into the roles of civic peacemaker and defender of democratic norms in informal and self-driven ways. They are compelled by their personal faith, supported by their community and led by each other.

We are facing the longest general election I can remember. The news from around the world feels heavy — especially to many of our Muslim and Jewish brothers and sisters. The stakes are high for a number of political issues. Amidst all of this, why do you think it is still important for people to prioritize supporting our election system itself? 

The work of preserving democracy is the work of all Americans. Ultimately, what we are working to preserve is a system of government that is answerable to the will of the people — one that allows each of us to participate meaningfully in self-government. It is an engaged community of citizens who practice passionate debate, good faith collaboration, restraint and virtue to help build a more perfect union together. Our election system is foundational to this work. We truly are a government of the people, and we need to do everything we can to strengthen trust in our election system. Our well-run elections, and the traditional peaceful transfer of power, have been a hallmark of American democracy for hundreds of years.

But not everyone has easy access to the ballot, some do not trust the system and many feel a lack of hope about the future of our country, even wondering if democracy is possible or worth it. When I find myself weighed down by the heaviness of the world, I study Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Beloved Community. We at MWEG see it as a vision of what is possible as we extend our more perfect union to a greater number of people than initially allowed to participate at our nation’s founding and try to bring the diverse experiences of living in America into greater alignment with the virtues we espouse. The Civil Rights movement was about more than the right to vote, but the work done to support a democratic election system is one of the most inspiring and impactful aspects of that time in our history.

Which brings us to peacemaking — the “how” or the glue that holds this work together for me as a person of faith. If we want to build the Beloved Community, we have a lot of collective work to do, including policy change, expanding our own hearts and persuading others to join us as we do so. We cannot get where we need to be by coercion or force. Nor should we want to — peacemaking is protective, principled and persuasive. It is hard work, but it is worth it. 

We all benefit when democracy is protected. For example, democratic government has the best chance to protect religious liberty and promote acceptance and inclusion of all people, regardless of their faith experience. By participating in this way, we are promoting peace and justice for all.

Much gratitude to Emma and everyone at MWEG for their critical work. 

Again, she and I will be discussing all of these issues and more in a webinar on April 11th. Join us. 

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