Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship

    2024 General Election Resources
The 2024 election season is upon us and faithful citizens can use this time to form their consciences, learn about the issues, and research the candidates as they prepare to cast their ballots. The following resources are offered by the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) to assist in this endeavor. Additional resources intended to help voters make informed decisions can be found on the Election Materials and Guidelines page of the FCCB website.
Materials in this newsletter or on the website of the FCCB and/or USCCB are approved for distribution in Florida parishes. 

    Important Voting Dates
Voter Registration: The deadline to register to vote in the 2024 general election is today, Monday, October 7. 
Early Voting: The mandatory early voting period in Florida begins Saturday, October 26 and continues through Saturday, November 2, and starts earlier in some counties.  
Vote-By-Mail: The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is 5 pm on October 24, 2024. A returned voted ballot must be received, regardless of postmark, by the Supervisor of Elections' office no later than 7:00 pm (local time) on Election Day. The United States Postal Service recommends that domestic nonmilitary voters mail back their voted ballots at least one (1) week before the Election Day deadline to account for any unforeseen events or weather issues.
General Election Day: Tuesday, November 5
Early voting sites and hours, secure ballot intake stations for returning vote-by-mail ballots, and polling locations for election-day voting can be found by visiting the website of your county Supervisor of Elections.
Additional information for voters is available on the website of the Florida Division of Elections.

    Florida Catholic Bishops Introduce USCCB's Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship 
In a new video, Florida’s Catholic Bishops have come together to introduce the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop's Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship and encourage Catholics to read and utilize the document in preparation for this year's election. Whether running for office, working for a political party, or casting a vote, Catholics are obligated to form and consult our consciences. A well-formed conscience, shaped by sacred scripture and the teachings of the Church, will help guide our decision-making and ensure our actions help build a society that is more respectful of human life and dignity and more cognizant of the Christian obligation to seek peace and justice. 
The USCCB offers this teaching document to guide Catholics in the exercise of their rights and duties as participants in our democracy. Pastors, lay and religious faithful, and all people of good are urged to use this statement to help form their consciences; to teach those entrusted to their care; to contribute to civil and respectful public dialogue; and to shape political choices in the coming election in light of Catholic teaching. 
Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States with New Introductory Letter (English) | (Spanish)

    FCCB 2024 Voter Guide
Before voting, Catholics are called to consider a wide range of issues, weighing each according to its moral significance. Gaining familiarity with the candidates' positions on issues involving human life and dignity is essential to responsible, faithful citizenship. It is beneficial to research the ballot ahead of time and gather the facts for every proposal and race. 
The FCCB Voter Guide provides information about Catholic teaching, offers considerations on key topics, and poses questions regarding current issues to assist voters in evaluating candidate positions or political party platforms.
FCCB Voter Guide (English) | (Spanish)

    U.S. Presidential Candidate Comparison 
In keeping with its mission, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops aims to educate and inform Catholics about a wide range of issues. The FCCB has developed a comparison between the positions of candidates for United States President, Kamala Harris (Democrat) and Donald Trump (Republican), on multiple topics. The positions of the candidates have been compiled directly from policies, public statements, official or campaign websites, and other sources, as of September 6, 2024. Hyperlinks are provided to supporting sources for each position. The FCCB is nonpartisan and does not support or oppose candidates.
The candidate comparison is just one tool to help Catholics prepare themselves for the election and is not a substitute for individual research and study. The responsibility to make political choices rests with each individual in light of a properly formed conscience in accordance with human reason and the truths of our faith. The comparison is provided for educational purposes only and does not serve as an endorsement of either candidate. 
2024 Presidential Candidate Comparison (English) | (Spanish)

    Proposed Constitutional Amendments on Florida’s Ballot
FCCB Opposes Amendment 4: Extreme Abortion Amendment
The FCCB is working diligently to oppose the dangerous and deceptive abortion amendment on the November ballot, and urges all Floridians to vote "NO" on Amendment 4. 
As the bishops note, "We urge all Floridians of goodwill to stand against the legalization of late-term abortion and oppose the abortion amendment. In doing so, we will not only protect the weakest, most innocent, and defenseless of human life among us but also countless women throughout the state from the harms of abortion." 
Read the full statement from the bishops of Florida in English and (Spanish).
Additional Amendment 4 Resources are available on our website, and at Vote No on 4 Florida. 

FCCB Opposes Amendment 3: Recreational Use of Marijuana
The bishops have released a statement encouraging Floridians to vote "no" on Amendment 3 in order to prevent increased addiction to marijuana and adverse health outcomes for our communities. 
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who use marijuana have almost a 10% likelihood of becoming addicted, with that risk increasing in people who use marijuana frequently or start using it during youth or adolescence. Additional research links the use of marijuana by young adults to psychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Women who use marijuana while pregnant increase the risk of stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight and impaired development of the baby's brain. 
The bishops' statement is available online in English and Spanish. 

    FCCB Election and Political Activity Guide
While Catholic lay women and men are encouraged to fully exercise their rights and duties as participants in our democracy, there are specific guidelines that Church entities and representatives are to follow when engaging in political activity. For instance, parishes or persons representing the Church in official capacities are not to distribute any materials that are not approved by the local diocesan bishop or the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB), or made available through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
FCCB Election & Political Activities Guide, Updated 2024 (English) | (Spanish)