Do Christians Need to Vote?

Every election season, there is a push to get as many people out to vote as possible. The consensus is that everybody who can vote, should vote. But as a Christian, does it matter? Is it necessary for a Christian to vote in every election? Is there ever an instance when a Christian should not vote?

God is in Charge

“It is He who changes the times and the periods; He removes kings and appoints kings;”     –Daniel 2:21

“Every person is to be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”     –Romans 13:1

We see from these verses that God appoints the leaders over us. It is granted by God to raise up leaders and bring them down. If God is in control, it would not matter if one person chooses not to vote. God will bring up the leader that He wills no matter what, and my vote will not change that. Ultimately, the person God wants to be elected will be elected.

Furthermore, no election has been decided by one vote. So, one person sitting out an election cycle will not change the outcome. If I choose not to vote, there will be no measurable difference in the election results.

We Are Accountable for our Decisions

“For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”    –Ecclesiastes 12:14

“So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.”    –Romans 14:12

We trust that God is in control of the outcome. Our faith is in Him, not in our vote. But that does not mean that we should not vote. On the contrary, God has granted us the blessing of living in this time and place where we can choose those who would be our leaders.

Not only is it incumbent upon us to vote, but to vote with the knowledge that someday we will have to give an accounting for why we voted the way we did. If, on the other hand, we choose not to vote and evil prospers and grows, and the church is muted and stagnant, we will be forced to give an accounting for that decision as well. We will have to explain that we were too busy and, thus, allowed evil to perpetuate because we could not be bothered.

I do not believe that the excuse of “one vote not making a difference” is a suitable explanation for our indifference. Knowing that God is in control does not justify our inaction when He has given us the ability to act with something as simple and easy as voting.

In the end, we will be accountable for everything we did and did not do, including voting.

I Don’t Like Either Choice

It is easy to point out each candidate’s flaws and dislike each candidate. This can grow into apathy, where I do not want to vote for anybody. Nobody is righteous enough, holy enough, or humble enough to be a good representative of Christ in leadership. Therefore, I will not grant my vote to anybody. None is worthy.

But I must remind you that no one is perfect. Even the best candidate will have flaws and sinful tendencies. Since we are electing human beings, they will have the problems that we all have.

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have committed detestable acts; There is no one who does good. The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of mankind to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, together they are corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one.”   –Psalm 14:1-3

When voting, we must choose between fallen people. This is a difficult choice because, unfortunately, most politicians do not best represent our morals.

However, we are not electing our pastor. (See Stop Expecting Politicians to be Pastors). We are electing somebody who we believe will do the best job at pushing the policy agenda that we want. The real question that we must ask is: Who will best promote the values of Christianity? Who will oppose them?

It is our duty to weigh these questions out carefully and to vote based not on who is holiest. If we are relegated to looking to our politicians to be our moral exemplars, then we are truly lost. However, we are to choose the candidate who will best pursue policies we agree with.

This is, of course, mainly about the presidential race. We must vote in these, but I contend that local elections and propositions directly impact our personal lives more than any national election. Because of this, even if you dislike the national candidates, you have a responsibility to vote for the local candidates and the propositions.

Again, these must all be carefully weighed, not as one voting on a whim, but examined and considered, like we must give an account for it one day.

What Would Satan Want?

TLDR: Yes, it is the responsibility of every Christian to vote. As we have been given the blessings of freedom and self-determination, we are required to be responsible for those charges that God has given us. Therefore, if we do not vote, we are neglecting a duty that God has given us to do to select the best candidates available.

It boils down to this question: Do you think that Satan wants more Christians voting or not voting? It might seem simplistic and silly, but the answer is obvious. Satan would want every Christian to stay home and not vote.

Therefore, as “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12), we know that we must go against what Satan would want, especially when it is as simple as showing up and voting.