The “Nones,” Americans with no religion, make up an ever-growing percentage of the U.S. population at 24 percent. Yet secular voters only comprise about 15 percent of the electorate.
Meanwhile, evangelicals, at only 17 percent of the population, still make up more than a quarter of the electorate. This disproportionate representation encourages lawmakers to pander to Religious Right interests, giving the theocrats way too much power over our government and our lives.
The best way to fight back and protect civil liberties is through the ballot. The secular vote has never been more critical.
It’s time politicians and candidates to start wooing the nearly quarter of the U.S. population today that is not religious. But they aren’t going to bother, if seculars, particularly younger freethinkers who are least apt to be registered, don’t even bother to vote. Seculars care about climate change and the environment, women’s, LGBT and reproductive rights. We care about improving this world, and our voices need to be heard.
While 97 percent of the 32,000 membership of the Freedom From Religion Foundation are registered voters according to a definitive membership survey, a quarter of nonreligious Americans still are not registered to vote.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which has an ongoing “I’m Secular and I Vote” campaign, is a part of Secular America Votes, a coalition of national secular, humanist and nontheistic groups. Find out more about how you can volunteer for a registration drive near you.
Join us. Help us. Vote like your rights — and our secular Constitution — depend on it, because they do.
