Reply #30: Uh Oh! [View All]

[Cleita]

Looks like they have a big loophole here:

IRS rules permit charities, including churches, to engage in nonpartisan voter education activities. As Election Day approaches, the Christian Coalition and other groups may ask churches to distribute "voter guides" to their members, contending that this is a permissible type of voter education. Churches should approach distribution of such voter guides with extreme caution.

Before agreeing to distribute a voter guide prepared by another organization, a church must ensure that the guide is truly nonpartisan and does not endorse or oppose any candidate, either explicitly or by implication. It does not matter that the church may not intend any political intervention. The IRS and the courts do not look to the church's motive, but to whether the voter guide in fact favors one candidate over another.