Over the past several months, your concern and participation in strengthening our democracy has been vital. Through your individual or Quaker Meeting endorsement of the Urgent Call and through your involvement as a poll worker, poll chaplain, election official, volunteer for candidates, and through prayer—you have helped protect our democracy and counter authoritarianism. Thank you!
We are encouraged that democracy prevailed in the recent midterm elections, that election violence has not occurred, and with few exceptions, those who lost have conceded without threats and claims of ‘stolen elections.’ In battleground states, candidates who denied the truth of the 2020 presidential election and who sought positions to influence future elections in their state were defeated.
Despite the overall positive outcome of the 2022 election, the past two years have demonstrated the fragility of our democracy and the need for consistent nurture and repair of broken aspects of our electoral system. We know that individuals and organizations are continuing their ardent efforts for free and fair elections, and we are considering how the ‘Quaker Call’ might continue its work of encouraging and supporting Friends going forward. We also encourage you and your meeting to discern how you might continue to be truth-tellers in our pursuit for an equitable, just and peaceful world—how you might be called to strengthen civic participation and democracy.
In January 2023, we plan to re-convene the original group of Friends who issued the Urgent Call, along with several heads of Quaker organizations, and some additional voices for discernment about our collective call to this continuing work. We will share the news from that discernment as it develops. In the meantime, we encourage you to offer your thoughts using the “Contact Us” feature of the Quaker Call website or by posting on the Quaker Call Community Forum. If you are not already subscribed to the Forum, you can request a subscription link here.
Please see the brief ATTACHED REPORT on the “Urgent Call to the Religious Society of Friends.”
Thank you again for your caring and support, The Quaker Call National Steering Committee.