In a speech in 1962 President John Kennedy said, “To govern is to choose.” This is the most succinct description possible of the process that leads to innumerable decisions about what to spend tax dollars on, whether to go to war, who should benefit from tax cuts, and every other area touched by the federal government. But the choice he was referring to was actually between Democrats and Republicans in the 1962 midterm elections. We are looking at those same choices on November 8th. 

History says the House majority will change in the first midyear election after a new president takes office because the election is a referendum on him or her. President Biden’s approval rating has been in the low forties for over a year, not what you want going into a referendum. The polls give House Democrats little chance of keeping the majority, about one in five. The forecast for the majority in the Senate is basically a coin flip now after Democrats seemed to have the advantage during the summer. 

The number of truly independent voters is smaller than ever which means that most minds are made up, and therefore turnout is more important than ever. The secular vote can be and should be decisive. One in five voters is atheist or agnostic according to this article and they lean heavily Democratic. Candidates would be smart to promise to uphold the separation of religion and government and reach out to secular voters.

However, running as an atheist is still difficult. According to this article from OnlySky, “only 60% of Americans say they would vote for a well-qualified atheist even if that person was from their own party, and there’s only one openly Humanist member of Congress (Rep. Jared Huffman).” 

Fortunately there is a list of secular candidates for federal and state offices compiled by the Center for Freethought Equality for your convenience. And we at SCA created a secular voter scorecard that looks at Congressional voting records and other measures of support for secular policies. You can also find voting resources on the Secular America Votes site.

Secular Americans are a politically active, though decentralized, group. Even more active than evangelical Americans according to this same survey. November 8th is your opportunity to prove that again, to make your opinion count and to support secular candidates and secular government. To choose who will govern.