Guidelines for Congregational Action

DO Take Action on Issues

• Publicly comment and educate the general public and elected officials on moral and political issues.
• Advocate for or against specific public policies by speaking out on decisions by government agencies, executives, or courts.
• Call, write, and meet with elected officials to support or oppose specific pieces of legislation.
• Sponsor and distribute the results of "nonpartisan analysis, study or research" concerning specific legislation or ballot measures, such as referenda, state constitutional amendments, city charter amendments, etc. Careful attention should be paid to being objective and nonpartisan.

DO Be Active During Elections

• Conduct nonpartisan voter registration drives. Register and encourage members of your congregation and others in the community to vote.
• Hold candidate forums. You must invite all legally qualified candidates for office and discuss a large variety of topics.
• Distribute questionnaires to all candidates. They must cover a broad range of topics and be presented in an unbiased way. The purpose of the questionnaires must be education and not advocacy.
• Make efforts to educate candidates on the issues important to your congregation and encourage them to adopt a sympathetic position.

DO Reach Out to Others

• Work with your denominational organizations to magnify your voice as a community of faith.
• Collaborate with other nonpartisan groups such as the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, Faithful Democracy, the Interfaith Alliance, and the Jobs Not War Coalition for support with your efforts.
• Call Chuck Warpehoski at Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice at 734-663-1870 or email chuck@icpj.net for ideas, speakers, videos, and other resources.

DO NOT Engage in Partisan Activities

• Do not endorse or oppose candidates for public office as a congregation. Religious groups may not advise members of the congregation or the public at large, directly or indirectly, to vote for or against specific candidates or political parties.
• Do not make financial contributions to candidates. Religious groups may not collect money on behalf of, or provide in-kind services to a candidate. This includes creating a political action committee.
• Do not distribute or display partisan campaign literature or voter guides.

(Adapted from "The Real Rules," Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, www.uua.org/uuawo)