Anti-abortion Christians will decide this election, one way or another
I know pro-lifers take many shapes and forms, but this one is for my Christian brothers and sisters. We need to have a quick chat about what’s going on here in Georgia.
There is a temptation among some to believe that Christians shouldn’t engage in politics. Even further, there are many pro-life Christians who feel frustrated (in many cases, rightfully so) with the direction of national politics as of late.
But, here at home, we need to reconcile our frustration with the reality that Jesus didn’t call his followers to sit on the sidelines of the communities where he placed us.
Each of us are called to be salt and light — preservers and illuminators of what is good, right and true. Ensuring that godly leaders hold power and that government rests upon his shoulders.
In Georgia right now, that calling has a concrete, time-sensitive application: whether pro-life Christians who say they value the sanctity of human life will show up and vote in the 2026 general election Tuesday.
Historically pro-life areas are lagging in early voting
Since the passage of the “heartbeat bill” (the LIFE Act) under Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia has built a measurable culture of life.
Abortions have declined. Pregnancy help organizations have expanded support for mothers. Betsy’s Law homes are opening around the state to provide free housing for homeless pregnant mothers. Political leaders have consistently prioritized protections for the unborn while expanding resources for families.
Those gains didn’t happen by accident. They happened because enough Georgians treated the unborn as people, worthy of protection and acted accordingly at the ballot box.
Unfortunately, that progress is not permanent. Early voting data implies that pro-life turnout is lagging. Analyses of the first two weeks of voting indicate higher participation among voters and in areas that strongly support pro-choice candidates, historically speaking.
Early voting is running ahead of the comparable point in the 2022 midterm in raw numbers, yet the patterns suggest the voters most likely to defend our culture of life are not yet matching the intensity of those who would reverse it.
If pro-lifers neglect to turn out, the leadership that has protected the “heartbeat bill” framework will be replaced by officials committed to rolling it back. Tangibly, this means we’ll see expansion of chemical abortion access through the mail, banning prayer outside of abortion facilities, defunding nonprofit prenatal service providers in favor of taxpayer-funded abortion and even allowing the legal challenge to the “heartbeat bill” to go unopposed.
That is not abstract speculation. It is the explicit policy agenda of the opposing side, and close statewide races have been decided by far fewer votes than the current turnout gap implies.
There’s time to close the voter turnout gap
Pro-life Christians are not called to win every election. We are called to be faithful with the opportunities we are given.
Scripture is clear that we will give an account — not only for the content of our votes when we cast them, but for whether we used the influence we possessed when the opportunity to protect the vulnerable was placed in our hands.
Sitting out because the race feels “safe” or because politics feel exhausting is still a decision. It is a decision that leaves the salt in the shaker and the light under a basket while those who oppose everything our faith dictates we stand for begin to actively shape the laws that govern the most defenseless among us.
Georgia’s pro-life advances since 2019 demonstrate what is possible when enough people treat the unborn as God’s image-bearers and act accordingly. The same principle works in reverse.
The early numbers are a warning, not a verdict. There is still time to close the gap. The question is whether those who claim the name of Christ will treat this moment with stewardship or with stagnation.
Romans chapter 14 tells us that, one day, you and I will be called to account before our creator. And that account will include not just how we voted, but for whether we voted at all.
I, for one, plan to report that I held the line for my family, my community and my state.
Early voting ends Friday; Election Day is Tuesday. You can find your polling locations at mvp.sos.ga.gov. You can find a list of candidates certified as pro-life by Georgia Life Alliance Committee.
Joshua Edmonds is the current president of the board and former executive director for Georgia Life Alliance Inc., vice president of the Stoneridge Group and was the author of the first draft of Georgia’s “heartbeat bill.”
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The opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.