Faith Leaders Across Los Angeles Issue Declaration Demanding Free, Fair, and Protected Elections

“At this moment in our nation’s history, the United States faces a profound constitutional and moral challenge. The institutions that sustain our democracy—respect for the rule of law, protection of civil liberties, and equal justice under the constitution - are under strain. As people of faith and conscience, we believe that the preservation of our democracy is not merely a political obligation; it is a sacred responsibility grounded in the moral covenant entrusted to humanity by our Creator.”

So begins “A Multi-Faith Declaration for Constitutional Renewal and Democratic Responsibility” composed by the Los Angeles Multi-Faith Coalition in 2026.

With midterm election campaigns well underway here in Los Angeles, and throughout the U.S., the LA Multi-Faith Coalition stands on common moral ground. We denounce the blatant actions of the Trump administration to disrupt the upcoming elections. We deplore the recent decision by the Supreme Court to allow it.

We demand respect for the dignity of every human being, care for the vulnerable, the imperative of truthfulness, and the nonviolent pursuit of justice and peace through free and fair elections. We hold the federal government’s power accountable to our moral imperatives, and the integrity of the Constitution.

Our country, as well as inhabitants of Greater Los Angeles, have been navigating intensifying political and armed threats to our communities and democratic institutions, coming from the federal government. The strategy to override elections is emanating directly from the White House. We’ve witnessed incessant lying, the sowing of division, the abuse of power, retribution, and economic uncertainty, all to attain and consolidate power.

The threats are real. Every day we hear some form of the relentless deceptive message that election systems are untrustworthy—a classic voter suppression tactic. Federal attempts to disrupt those systems have been made  to unlawfully collect sensitive voter data as part of a new voter surveillance and purging databases that would silence and violate the privacy rights of millions. The President of the United States repeatedly denies the legitimacy of an election that he lost in 2020, and says he will intervene to overturn results if favored candidates lose.

What is different and new is that this strategy is being carried out with the full force of the federal government behind it. 

As leaders of communities of faith and conscience we must meet this moment differently than we have in the past. We must stand up in solidarity and demand that:

Every eligible voter can vote.
Every vote is counted.
The results are honored, and the winner seated.

As people of faith and conscience, we are grounded in compassion, truth, justice, and loving kindness. Our ongoing civic project is rooted in the belief that freedom belongs equally to all people. We must act to create a more just and more democratic society. Throughout our nation’s history, when democracy has been tested, we have been called upon to bear witness. Today, we are once again called to meet a defining moment with courage, clarity, and collective action.

The LA Multi-Faith Coalition calls upon our communities of faith, elected officials, and all civic leaders to speak out in truth, organize, and actively defend elections. Use the trust we’ve built in our communities to exercise our credibility and organizational reach to protect people’s right to vote. Do what it takes with courage, clarity, and collective action to make clear that attacks on our elections will not go unanswered.

Los Angeles Multi-Faith Coalition
The Rev. Daniel Tamm, Interfaith Solidarity Network
Salam Al-Marayati, Muslim Public Affairs Council
Rabbi Dr. Aryeh Cohen, American Jewish University

Image Source: Jae C. Hong/AP Photo/Jae C. Hong