09/01/2026
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Statement on Election Protection
September 1, 2026
We are living through a time of profound moral injury as a nation. The institutions that sustain our democracy have been under constant challenge. Respect for equal justice under the law and civil liberties, which are enshrined in the Constitution of the United States, are under threat. As people of faith and conscience, we believe that a working democracy is intended to serve the common good. Our democratic republican form of government is the political expression of truth, love, and justice. We honor the civic project as a sacred responsibility grounded in the moral covenant entrusted to humanity by our Creator and the deepest human and spiritual principles we embrace.
With midterm election campaigns well underway here in Los Angeles, and throughout the U.S., the Interfaith Solidarity Network stands on common moral ground with the LA Multi-Faith Coalition of Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Secular Humanists, Sikhs, and others. We denounce the blatant actions of the Trump administration to disrupt the upcoming elections. We deplore the recent decision by the Supreme Court to even consider limiting vote-by-mail - a system that encourages voting by making it easier for citizens to cast their ballots safely and securely..
We demand respect for the dignity of every human being, care for the vulnerable, the imperative of truthfulness, and the nonviolent pursuit of justice and peace, through free and fair elections. We hold the federal government’s power accountable to our moral imperatives and the integrity of the Constitution.
The strategy to override elections is emanating directly from the White House. We’ve witnessed incessant lying, the sowing of division, the abuse of power, retribution, and economic uncertainty to attain and consolidate power. (https://protectdemocracy.org/)
The threats are real. Every day we hear some form of the deceptive message that election systems are untrustworthy. That is a deliberate voter suppresion tactic to scare or discourage voters.
What we've never seen before is that this strategy is being carried out with the full force of the federal government behind it. As leaders of communities of faith and conscience, we must meet this moment differently than we have in the past. We must stand up in solidarity and demand that:
Every eligible voter can vote
Every vote is counted
The results are honored, and the winner seated.
As people of faith and conscience, we are grounded in compassion, truth, justice, and loving kindness. Our ongoing civic project is rooted in the belief that freedom belongs equally to all people. We must act to create a more just and more democratic society. Throughout our nation’s history, when democracy has been tested, we have been called upon to bear witness. Today, we are once again called to meet a defining moment with courage, clarity, and collective action.
Interfaith Solidarity Network calls upon our communities of faith, elected officials, and all civic leaders to speak out in truth, organize, and actively defend elections. Use the trust we’ve built in our communities to exercise our credibility and organizational reach to protect people’s right to vote. With courage, clarity, and collective action, we must stand up faithfully to rebuke any assault on our elections.
The Rev. Daniel Tamm, ISN President
Evan Clark, ISN Board Chair
Mylene Morris, ISN Board of Directors
Rabbi Jason van Leeuwen, ISN Board of Directors
Salam Al Maryati - Muslim Public Affairs Council
Rabbi Dr. Aryeh Cohen, American Jewish University
