On Election Day in small-town Pennsylvania, faith drives votes for Trump and Harris

By Christian Today | Created at 2024-11-06 10:28:21 | Updated at 2024-11-06 20:41:31 10 hours ago

At Brethren Village, in a retirement community with historic ties to the Church of the Brethren, voters of all ages quietly milled in and out of a chapel that had been converted into a polling location. Decked out in a suit, bright red tie and golden cross necklace, Stephen Shenk said he cast his ballot for Trump. So did Madison Bellanca, who stood next to him.

"The big thing for me is the border and the economy," Shenk said. "I feel the border was a lot safer during Trump's reign in 2016, and I also feel the economy was in a better spot. We're a younger generation that's looking to buy a home, and it's become much more difficult to buy a home in the past four years than it was previously."

Describing himself only as a Christian, Shenk said he attends Victory Church, a nearby evangelical congregation, and that his faith "definitely plays a role" in how he votes.

"My morals stand with a lot of policies that Donald Trump falls under, and the Republican Party as a whole," he said.

Standing nearby with his dog was John Byers, who said he voted for Harris. He has supported Republicans in past elections, he said, but Trump was a bridge too far this year.

"After Jan. 6, I can't vote for Trump," he said, referring to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Byers explained that, as a member of a local Church of the Brethren congregation, he has helped resettle refugees in the region through Church World Service, one of six faith-based groups that partner with the federal government to help resettle refugees. The experience made him wary of Trump's plans to implement mass deportation.

"After working so hard to resettle people in this country, I don't want to see a bunch of people deported," Byers said.

Both candidates leaned on faith in the waning days of the campaign, calling on religious voters to support them. Trump, who hosted a rally in Lancaster on Monday, his final day of campaigning, focused on evangelicals, a constituency that has long supported him. Harris appealed to several religious groups, including Black Protestants and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Questions about Trump's character resonated with Rhoda Mast, a voter at Brethren Village on Tuesday who said she backed Harris. She was concerned about Trump's character, she said, noting she "could not vote for a convicted felon." What's more, Mast said, her Mennonite beliefs precluded her from supporting a candidate known for regularly spreading falsehoods.

"We believe, as people of faith, as Christians, we need to tell the truth and be kind and be honest and love everyone, not just Americans," Mast said.

Down the street at St. Luke's United Church of Christ, where Diana, who asked to only be identified by her first name, said she voted for Trump. Standing outside the church around midday as a trickle of voters filed in on their lunch hour, she said Trump — who, like her, identifies as a nondenominational Christian — "stands more for our biblical beliefs and our Christian beliefs."

Following her out of the church was Neil Wilson, a health care worker and veteran. He said he sat out the 2020 election but didn't want to miss it this go-round, so he cast his ballot for Harris.

"I just like what she's representing — the people, the middle class. It inspires me to get out and vote," Wilson said. Raised in a Baptist family that included a pastor as an uncle, he said his faith inspired him "to get out and try to make a difference this year, just to think that my vote will count."

Over at the funeral home polling station, Katie Pasic, a Catholic, said she believes abortion "is terrible" but cast her vote for Harris, who has made protecting abortion rights a focus of her campaign.

"I don't think anybody wakes up in the morning thinking 'I'd love to have an abortion,'" said Pasic, whose husband, an agnostic, also voted for Harris. "I can't speak for all Catholics, but I feel like you can be anti-abortion, but pro-choice."

Although the Catholic Church formally opposes abortion, the majority of U.S. Catholics believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to multiple polls.

Not everyone was comfortable discussing their vote. One couple refused to reveal the contents of their ballot, but only because they "cancel each other out" and "didn't want to get into it" in front of a reporter.

Another couple, Jenna and Alex Moyer, said they recently moved to Lancaster County from Philadelphia and attend a nondenominational church. But while Alex Moyer said he believes "Judeo-Christian ethics" inform who he thinks "will make a good leader for our country," he declined to say who that might be.

Jenna Moyer was similarly reticent, saying, "We just want to see the country be led in a way that supports our values, but also allows there to be good morals and values for our children to be brought up in."

Both also insisted coverage depicting the Pennsylvania electorate as deeply divided is overblown.

"When you walk the streets, very often people are treating one another with dignity and respect," Jenna Moyer said.

For others, faith wasn't a factor at all. Royce Stout, who identified as Christian and wore a shirt emblazoned with a founding-era American flag, said he voted for Trump because he wants "a secure border." Asked if his faith informed his vote, he offered a one-word response: "No."

Walking away in the other direction from the funeral home, Amar and Vara Nuri said they voted for Trump. "We want to see changes, we got tired of Democrats," said Amar Nuri. Vara Nuri, standing beside him in a headscarf, nodded in agreement. But both insisted their faith did not play a role in the decision.

But religion was a big part of what drove others to the polls. At the UCC church, Evony Otero said she was raised Catholic but now identifies simply as Christian. Ahead of her vote, Otero said, she had a "couple conversations with God about it," but is now "confident" in her decision.

"I'm a woman. I'm a single mom. I know what it's like to struggle. I know what it's like to feel like your back is against the wall," she said. "I wanted somebody who I can relate to, that has been in maybe that same situation, or a family member of theirs has went through the same thing too."

She was voting for Harris, she said, and leaving the rest up to God.

"We're just gonna put it in his hands," she said.

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