ELLERBE — The Values Bus, aiming to reach and teach voters about issues and the importance of each vote, made a pit stop at First Presbyterian Church Friday on its way to visiting all 100 counties in North Carolina.

“We’re encouraging people to get out this election season and vote their values,” said Travis Weber, director of the Center for Religious Liberty at the Family Research Council. “You’ll see them on the side of the bus: religious freedom, natural marriage, dignity of life, national security. We want people whose faith and their values informs how they vote, how they think about public life and just get out and make that known at the polls this year.”

The bus is owned by Family Research Council Action, a conservative-based group out of Washington, D.C., and is currently focusing on North Carolina, in addition to other states throughout the country, in an attempt to get potential voters to “get out and vote their values.”

“North Carolina is a very important state for a number of reasons and a number of races,” said Weber. “That’s why we’re putting in time here.”

Weber again mentioned that his group is encouraging people to vote their values — an issue that FRC feels strongly about — but hasn’t this election year or any year endorsed a presidential candidate. He said they are, however, supporting and endorsing Gov. Pat McCrory and Lt. Gov. Dan Forest for reelection this year.

“In terms of other races, we wanna encourage people to vote their values and look at each race in terms of which candidates align with our values and core issues and where they stand,” said Weber. “That’s kind of how we approach the issue.”

Values Bus Tour Manager Chrysta Johnson explained that in 2012, between 38 and 39 million Christians didn’t vote. One of the group’s main efforts is to engage Christian voters and help them understand the importance of voting.

“Of those 38-39 million people, 26 million of those people were registered voters and just didn’t go to the polls,” said Johnson. “So this year that is critical, that people will understand that it’s their right to vote, and it’s important to vote their values.”

FRC was in Ellerbe Friday to pass out voter guides at the Presbyterian Church before making their way to the Conservative Rally 2016 in Smithfield Friday night. An earlier stop was made at the Wadesboro Walmart.

“We’re making a number of stops and distributing materials that we have available for anyone to take,” Weber said. “Basically voter guides laying out where all the candidates stand on the various issues. We have materials laying out where the major party platforms come out and basically distribute that material to people to have so they can inform their decisions.”

The Conservative Rally 2016, according to Johnson, is expected to have over 1,000 people in attendance, including McCrory and Forest to explain to people the importance of voting.

“We’re gonna be there to support that event and to make sure that people have the materials that they need to know where every candidate stands on all the issues and to make an informed and complete decision in that process.”

Reach reporter Matt Harrelson at 910-817-2674 and follow him on Twitter @mattyharrelson.

Imari Scarbrough | Anson Record Fans of the Values Bus Tour sign the bus at its stop in the Wadesboro Walmart parking lot on Friday. The bus made a visit Friday afternoon at First Presbyterian Church in Ellerbe to drop off voter guides.
https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_Values-Bus-2016-fz.jpgImari Scarbrough | Anson Record Fans of the Values Bus Tour sign the bus at its stop in the Wadesboro Walmart parking lot on Friday. The bus made a visit Friday afternoon at First Presbyterian Church in Ellerbe to drop off voter guides.

By Matt Harrelson

mharrelson@civitasmedia.com