More than 1,200 clergy and lay volunteers are expected to serve as poll chaplains in nine US states on 3 November, the day of the midterm elections, according to the Associated Press.
The interfaith coalition behind the effort, Faiths United to Save Democracy, said it had recruited 1,235 chaplains and peacekeepers as of 19 October. The volunteers will work in Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Virginia and Texas.
They will wear identifying hats and t-shirts and stay outside polling places to offer a calm, reassuring presence. Training covers immigrant rights and de-escalation if conflict arises.
A Pew survey found 85% of Americans believe political violence is rising.
Organisers told AP that fear of federal immigration agents is a particular concern this year and could deter voters in mixed-immigration-status families and communities of colour. Department of Homeland Security officials have said they have no plans to send agents to the polls but DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has said agents could appear for a specific reason, such as arresting someone with a warrant.
The programme is not new, chaplains were at polling places in 10 states in 2024.
Organisers said the initiative is rooted in the Black church and has widened to other faiths and non-religious people. Church historian David Daniels says Black church-led voting campaigns date to the years after the Civil War, and that “Souls to the Polls” became a national movement by the early 2000s.
Volunteers include Christian, Jewish, Quaker and Buddhist leaders, though AP reported that most participating groups were moderate or progressive.