Deciding how to vote can be difficult, but it is a task we all must take seriously and prayerfully in order to be faithful citizens. Our Church's social tradition calls us to consider a broad range of important issues-on everything from poverty to war, abortion, human rights, and the environment.

Because there is no Catholic voting formula, and rarely, if ever, a perfect candidate for Catholic voters, we must be prepared to use our prudential judgment, and make faithful and practical decisions at the voting booth. This checklist can help you make sound and informed choices on election day.

• Inform your conscience on the Church's social teachings by reading documents such as the U.S. Bishops' Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org), and by talking with your pastor.
• Research statements and voting records of the candidates on all the issues important to Catholics.
• Discuss matters of Catholic citizenship with family, friends, and leaders in your parish.

• Look for the candidate who will do the most in concrete terms to promote the dignity of human life, justice, and peace.
• Reject "Litmus Tests" that reduce Catholic issues to one or a few issues.
• Voting for a candidate who fails to endorse all of Church teaching can be justifiable if the candidate would produce results consistent with Church principles once in office.

• Will the candidate promote a society in which neighbors see each other as brothers and sisters? Will the candidate reject a get-what-you-can culture that validates greed and materialism?
• What will the candidate do to address affronts to human life and dignity-and their root causes-such as poverty, war, abortion, torture, the death penalty, and a lack of freedom and opportunity?
• Does the candidate believe that the health, security, and prosperity of our nation are linked to the health, security, and prosperity of the rest of the world? In short, does he or she believe we are in this together or going it alone?
• Does the candidate support an economic system that demands opportunity and human dignity for all-a living wage, health care, affordable education, and human rights?
• Does the candidate put principles ahead of power and personal profits? Does he or she respect the sacred trust between citizens and their public officials to put the com­mon good ahead of special interests?

From: A Nation For All: How the Catholic Vision of the Common Good Can Save America from the Politics of Division

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