by Jessica Eimer Bowen, Promoter of Justice, Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids
On July 7, the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids joined clergy and faith leaders from West Michigan at a press conference as part of the national Faith in Us campaign: standing together to protect the freedom to vote and the rights of our neighbors. Six speakers representing four faith traditions—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism—shared a united call for a democracy where every eligible person’s voice can be heard. Jessica Bowen, Promoter of Justice, attended the press conference on behalf of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids congregation.
While the SAVE Act is currently stalled in Congress, there are many state-level efforts to further restrict voting access.
“We stand together as Clergy to fight for the right of every citizen in this country to vote,” said Rev. Darryl Gaddy from Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church in Grand Rapids, MI at the press conference.
“The Right to vote is not merely a political issue, it is a moral issue,” said Rev Shannon Jammal-Hollemans from the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Lowell.
“As Dominicans committed to truth, justice, and the dignity of every person, we are grateful to join faith communities across the country in speaking out for a democracy where every voice matters, including the most vulnerable among us,” said Prioress Sister Megan McElroy, OP, who signed the “Faith Leaders Defending Our Democracy” letter on behalf of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids. The letter calls on elected leaders to protect access to voting for all eligible citizens, including safe and fair polling locations and vote-by-mail, which is especially important for older adults, people with mobility concerns, those living in rural communities, and others whose circumstances make it difficult to vote in person.
Clergy and faith leaders attended the July 7, 2026 press conference announcing their support of Democracy in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The content of the letter follows.
Faith Leaders Defending Our Democracy – National Sign on Letter
As faith leaders, we stand for justice and fairness. We believe in protecting the dignity and rights of all people. We work to bring people together across every divide and we know that our democracy is strong when everyone is treated with dignity and when all voices are heard. As we approach the 2026 November elections, our freedom to vote and elect the leaders we choose is under threat. As clergy across faith, race and geography, we are joining together to protect our voting rights and the voting rights of our neighbors.
We are speaking out against decisions that limit the access eligible voters have to the ballot box and efforts that appear aimed at preventing eligible voters from voting. We are deeply concerned about the executive order severely restricting vote-by-mail, and we are outraged by the rapid gerrymandering of racially discriminatory election maps in many states following the Supreme Court’s decision to end the Voting Rights Act commitment to racial equality in elections.
Vote-by-mail is particularly important for elders in our communities, for those with mobility concerns, for those in rural areas, and for those whose job status or life circumstances makes it difficult to vote in person on election day. In some states, all eligible voters are sent a mail ballot. This executive order threatens to take the vote away from countless eligible voters in our communities, causing confusion and chaos and the denial of fundamental constitutional rights. Vote-by-mail has been proven to be accurate, reliable, and efficient across the country, and it helps ensure that eligible voters are able to exercise their constitutional right to vote.
Our faith traditions affirm the dignity, worth, and agency of all people. Patterns of action that prevent eligible voters from voting and that dilute voter’s power to choose their elected leaders violate our faith traditions’ affirmation of human dignity. Complicated registration rules, fewer voting options, threats to deploy ICE to polling places, barriers based on financial ability, requests that states turn over voter rolls despite privacy and security concerns, and discriminatory gerrymandering of maps all offend our core faith values as well as core democracy values. These efforts limit access to the ballot box and intimidate eligible voters, especially eligible voters of color and poverty. This makes us less free and gives us less power as voters to choose our leaders.
We call on our Secretaries of State, election administrators and all elected officials in our states to join us in publicly opposing these efforts. We call on elected officials to join us in protecting our elections, our democracy, and the ability of all eligible voters to be able to access the ballot box and vote.
We are coming together to protect our voting rights and the voting rights of our neighbors. We will continue to oppose attacks on the freedom to vote. We call on our elected leaders to do the same.
