Nashville (BP)—Voters have a lot on their minds as they ponder which candidate to support in the upcoming presidential election—a shaky economy, the war on terrorism, the energy crisis.

“With so much at stake, we all need to do our homework before we step into that voting booth,” said Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

“There is no reason for any voter to willingly forfeit their right to vote in this election or any other election,” Land added. Even if none of the candidates seeking the presidency exactly squares with what a voter desires, he said that does not allow for a pass to sit at home on Election Day.

Voters do not have to wonder where the two major U.S. political parties stand on the issues of the day, Land noted, referencing the ERLC’s recently published guide that compares the Democratic and Republican platforms side by side.

The quadrennial Party Platform Comparison Guide, which covers a wide range of issues, pulls selected excerpts from both the Democratic and Republican party platforms on such issues as civil rights, human trafficking, illegal immigration and stem cell research, among others.

The guides are available for download online at www.iVoteValues.com. Full-color print copies can be ordered as well.

“Many pastors are naturally suspicious of so-called ‘voter guides,’” Land acknowledged. But, he noted, “the Party Platform Comparison Guide contains no analysis or commentary. The SBC entity has published a similar guide every presidential election since 1992.