Full Breakdown
Faith Leaders Mobilize as Poll Chaplains to Counter Voter Intimidation
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Initiative and Deployment
Faiths United in Saving Democracy, a nonpartisan coalition of interfaith and secular partners, is training and certifying volunteers to serve as “poll chaplains” on Election Day. The effort will place volunteers in nine battleground states—Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Virginia and Texas—where they will wear identifying hats and vests and remain outside polling places to provide a calm, reassuring presence. As of mid-October, the coalition has recruited 1,235 chaplains and peacekeepers.
Background and Context
A Pew survey conducted after the September 2025 assassination of activist Charlie Kirk found that 85 % of Americans, across the political spectrum, believe political violence is increasing. Past elections have seen intimidation incidents, such as a 2022 Arizona case where a group monitoring ballot drop boxes was ordered to stay at least 250 feet away, and a 2020 Detroit vote-counting center that was stormed by a crowd spurred by election-fraud conspiracy theories. Faith leaders have historically acted as peacekeepers; today they are extending that role beyond worship spaces.
Key Participants
- Barbara Williams-Skinner – Co-founder, Faiths United in Saving Democracy.
- Rev. Bankole Akinbinu – Senior pastor, Baptist Grove Church, Raleigh, North Carolina.
- Wendy Cadge – Professor of sociology, Bryn Mawr College, and founder of the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab.
- Rev. Katie Sexton – Executive director, Arizona Faith Network.
- Rabbi Emily Segal – Leader, Temple Chai, Scottsdale, Arizona.
Official Statements & Responses
Williams-Skinner emphasizes that “the fear is real” and warns that immigration-agent presence could deter eligible voters. Department of Homeland Security officials have repeatedly stated they have no plans to deploy immigration agents to polls, though DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin noted agents could appear for specific reasons, such as executing a warrant.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I look at our forefathers and the struggle they had to endure to afford us the privilege of voting," Akinbinu said.” — The Rev. Bankole Akinbinu, senior pastor of Baptist Grove Church in Raleigh, North Carolina
- “People are feeling called to chaplaincy because they want to be with people in difficult times,” — Wendy Cadge