2014 Elections Guidelines
for
Parishes and Schools
ACTivated by Faith: Maryland voters will head to the polls this summer and fall to elect a governor, eight
U.S. representatives, and 188 members of the Maryland General Assembly, among others. This publication
provides resources and guidelines to assist parishes, schools, and other Catholic organizations in promoting
faithful citizenship.
As happens in states that lean heavily toward one party or another, the major electoral contests will occur in
the primary election this June. Therefore, voter education is critical in advance of the primary election.
Questions should be directed to the Maryland Catholic Conference at 410-269-1155 or 301-261-1979.
Important 2014 Election Dates








Tuesday, June 3 – Voter registration deadline for the primary election
Thursday, June 12 through Thursday, June 19 – Early voting for the primary election*
Friday, June 20 – Deadline to apply for an absentee ballot for the primary election*
Tuesday, June 24 – PRIMARY ELECTION
Tuesday, October 14 – Voter registration deadline for the general election
Thursday, October 23 through Thursday, October 30 – Early voting for the general election*
Friday, October 31 – Deadline to apply for an absentee ballot for the primary election*
Tuesday, November 4 – GENERAL ELECTION
*In Maryland, any registered voter may vote absentee or early. For voter registration forms and further information,
call the state Board of Elections at 1-800-222-8683, or go to www.elections.state.md.us.
Voter Education Materials
To help form consciences, the Maryland Catholic Conference will provide voter education materials (in both
English and Spanish) to all parishes in the state. Pastors are encouraged to use all of these resources, which
include:
 Information on Voter Registration Drives – Materials for a parish to host a voter registration
drive.
 Clergy Resources – Bulletin/pulpit announcements, homily notes, and prayers of the faithful on
faithful citizenship and key issues of the Church. These may be used throughout the primary and
general election seasons.
 Issue Backgrounder - A one-page bulletin insert on key issues impacting Catholic voters. This
should be included as a bulletin insert in all parishes on Sunday, June 1. The information may
also be found at adw.org/faithfulcitizenship.
 Candidate Surveys – The Conference is surveying candidates for governor, U.S. Congress and the
Maryland General Assembly. District-specific information about the surveys may be found at
adw.org/faithfulcitizenship. Parish-specific bulletin announcements will be sent to you next week
for use on Saturday/Sunday, June 7/8, in advance of the primary election.
Voter Registration Drives
Individuals must be registered in order to vote, and holding a parish-based voter registration drive (VRD) is
an excellent way to encourage faithful citizenship. Attached separately are voter registration guidelines for
parishes. Below is a sampling of the guidelines. See the full document for the complete list. Some of the
basic guidelines include:



Organizers should obtain registration forms and VRD instruction from their county Board of
Elections.
No bias for or against any candidate or party should be shown, and the drive must not be conducted
in cooperation with any candidate, party, or political campaign.
VRDs should be held in ample time to return completed registration forms to the Board of Elections
by the voter registration deadline – June 3 for the primary, and October 14 for the general election.
Candidate Forums and Appearances
Non-partisan candidate forums allow Catholic voters to hear directly from those seeking public office and are
encouraged. All parishes interested in hosting a candidate forum must contact the Conference. The
Conference will help draft appropriate questions and can provide other assistance. Candidate forums must
invite all candidates for a particular office and no bias for or against any candidate or party may be shown.
During election cycles, candidates who currently hold a particular elected office may make presentations as
part of their official capacities or as experts on an issue. However, the following precautions must be taken:
the individual must speak only in the capacity of an elected official or expert, and not as a candidate; no
mention should be made of the candidacy and no campaign activity should occur at the event or in
communications regarding it; and a nonpartisan atmosphere should be maintained at the event. Presentations
by elected officials should always conform to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Catholics in
Political Life document.
Election-Year Dos and Don’ts
While individuals are free to engage in partisan politics, churches and other 501(c)(3) institutions that qualify
for tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code are not. The Church and Church organizations are
not to be involved in partisan politics. Expressions of preference for a political party and of direct or
indirect support for or opposition to specific candidates or political parties are not permissible.
DO …






Share the Church’s teaching on human life, education, family life, immigration, justice and peace.
Highlight the moral and ethical dimensions of public policy issues.
Urge parishioners to register to vote.
Facilitate voter education through use of materials provided by the Maryland Catholic Conference
and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Urge parishioners to evaluate candidate positions in light of Church teaching.
Urge parishioners to vote in both the primary and general elections.
DO NOT …




Provide parishioner or school lists to any candidate or party.
Make Church-owned buildings and properties available to just one candidate or party for electionrelated activities.
Allow the distribution of partisan campaign materials through official Church or parish channels,
including on Church-owned parking lots.
Allow any diocesan or parish entity or organization to endorse, oppose, contribute funds to, or
campaign for or against any political party, candidate, or political action committee.
Endorsements and Electioneering
Priests and other Church leaders are urged to avoid endorsements, contributions, electioneering, or other
partisan political activity. Although personal endorsements are not prohibited, it may be difficult to separate
personal activity from one’s role as a representative of the Church. Officials and employees of the Church,
acting in their individual capacities on political matters, should make clear that they are not acting as
representatives of the Church.
Distribution of Election-Year Materials
Pastors and other Church representatives should be wary of outside organizations seeking to distribute
election-related materials through parishes. Issues covered in outside materials might not address the range of
issues of importance to the Church. Moreover, their content, format, and presentation might not satisfy IRS
regulations applicable to Catholic organizations. Though distribution of these materials elsewhere may have
value, they may not be appropriate for distribution in Catholic parishes.
The Maryland Catholic Conference Board of Governors often speaks to issues both moral and political. The
consistent ethic of life demands a concern for all the weak and vulnerable members of our society throughout
all phases of life, and must be promoted through the Church’s social teaching and its applications to today’s
concerns. The independence and integrity of the Church’s social teaching must be maintained. To this end:
The Maryland Catholic Conference Board of Governors reaffirms the long-standing prohibition of the
distribution of election-year materials in parishes and schools unless published by the diocesan bishop,
the Maryland Catholic Conference, or the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Faithful Citizenship Presentations
The staff of the Maryland Catholic Conference is happy to make a presentation to your parish, school, or
group on faithful citizenship, the elections, and issues of importance to the Church. Presentations are
reserved to groups of 30 or more and may be scheduled by contacting the Conference.
Catholic Advocacy Network
The Maryland Catholic Advocacy Network (CAN) is an email based system that alerts members to public
policy issues of concern to the Church and directly connects them with legislators to make their voices heard.
If your parish would like to hold a registration drive for CAN, please contact the Conference.
Questions and Other Resources
All questions regarding appropriate election-related activities in parishes or schools should be referred to the
Maryland Catholic Conference (410-269-1155 or 301-261-1979) or a diocesan attorney.
If your parish is interested in holding a voter registration drive, candidate forum, or faithful citizenship
presentation, please contact the Conference at 410-269-1155 or 301-261-1979. Additional resources,
including Spanish-language materials, are also available at adw.org/faithfulcitizenship.