Pennsylvania Catholic Conference Column - September 2006
FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP
by Amy L. Beisel, APR
America’s Catholic Bishops remind us that, “in the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue; participation in the political process is a moral obligation. All believers are called to faithful citizenship, to become informed, active, and responsible participants in the political process.” (Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) statement, 2004)
On Tuesday, November 7, 2006, Catholic voters in Pennsylvania get the chance to practice faithful citizenship when they cast their votes for one U.S. Senator, Members of Congress, Pennsylvania governor, and all the representatives and half of the senators of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
The deadline to register to vote is October 10, 2006. To qualify, individuals must be a citizen of the United States for at least one month; a resident of Pennsylvania and the election district in which the individual desires to register and vote for at least 30 days; and, at least 18 years of age on or before Election Day.
Voters may register in person at a county voter registration office or other county designated site(s) such as voter registration drives around the community; or by mail. A voter registration application may be downloaded, printed and mailed, or completed online at the Pennsylvania Department of State website, www.votespa.com.
The polls in Pennsylvania are open from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm on Election Day. Registered voters with a disability or who are 65 or older may vote by absentee ballot if their polling place has been deemed to be inaccessible.
Absentee ballots are available to persons in the armed forces, their spouses and dependents, other citizens in federal service attached to the armed forces, persons absent from their municipality the entire time the polls are open, those who cannot attend the polls because of illness or disability, county employees whose Election Day responsibilities prohibit them from going to the polls and persons who will not go to the polls because of observing a religious holiday.
The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is October 31, 2006. Completed absentee ballots must be received by the county board of elections no later than 5 pm on the Friday before the election.
The issues facing Pennsylvania now and in the coming years present serious moral, ethical and social justice questions. As faithful citizens it is important to ask ourselves, how do we protect human life and dignity? How do we fairly share our blessings and confront the challenges we face? What kind of nation or Commonwealth do we want? What kind of world do we want to help shape?
We can answer those questions by registering and voting our informed consciences.
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Amy L. Beisel, APR, is Communications Director of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference – the public affairs arm of Pennsylvania's Catholic bishops and the Catholic dioceses of Pennsylvania.
(c) 2006 Pennsylvania Catholic Conference