A 2024 survey by Arizona Christian University found that 14% of Christian nonvoters said they disliked all major candidates, though it did not isolate the percentage of evangelical Christians who abstained for that reason.
Speaking on American Family Radio, "At the Core" co-host Rick Green addressed voter apathy, urging believers not to let the pursuit of a perfect candidate keep them away from the ballot box.
"The perfect guy or gal doesn't exist not on the ballot," he noted. "You have to just do the best you can with what you've got where you are."
Green, a practicing attorney who founded the Patriot Academy and served as a Texas state representative, argued that sitting out an election out of frustration is itself a decision that leaves public policy in the hands of those who may oppose faith, family and religious liberty.
"I think you should vote for the one that most lines up with biblical values," he advised. "That's the guiding... plumb line, if you will; that's what you measure everything against."
Green emphasized that throughout biblical history, God frequently used imperfect leaders to accomplish His plans. He encouraged listeners to evaluate candidates based on their policy platforms, positions on protecting life and respect for constitutional boundaries rather than demanding personal perfection.
His comments come as evangelical Christians prepare for the Nov. 3 midterm elections through voter-registration drives, church-based education efforts and get-out-the-vote campaigns. Conservative evangelical leaders are concerned about whether voters who supported Donald Trump in presidential elections will turn out for the midterms, when control of Congress is at stake.
Roughly seven in 10 evangelicals voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, with that share rising to about three-quarters in 2024. Among nonwhite evangelicals, Trump's support increased from 36% in 2016 to 40% in 2020 and 48% in 2024.
Churches and faith-based grassroots groups are doing much of the organizing, seeking to translate voters' political preferences into actual midterm turnout.
