Madison, Wis. (RNS) — As two dozen pastors, poll chaplains and other leaders gathered for a pre-election press conference outside of First United Methodist Church in Wisconsin’s capital Wednesday (Oct. 30), they got a taste of what life is like in a battleground state.
As Paul Raushenbush, president of the Interfaith Alliance, a national nonprofit whose leaders were on a pro-voting tour, stepped to the microphone, some young hecklers drove by in a green SUV, flipping the faith leaders the bird and shouting, “Vote Trump.”
Raushenbush waved to the hecklers and then got back to business — spreading the message that every vote counts.
“Every person, every vote matters,” said Raushenbush, a Madison, Wisconsin, native, with the state capitol and a bus emblazoned with the words “The Vote is Sacred” in the background. “Every vote is sacred and every voice is sacred.”
Wednesday’s press conference was part of an interfaith pro-voting bus tour across swing states that began in Nebraska and will end on election day in Pennsylvania. Raushenbush and other leaders hope to encourage people to get out and vote, no matter their faith — and to remind the public that no one faith group has a monopoly on how religion should …