Mormon Stories #1357: Why Some Mormons and Post-Mormons are Voting for Joe Biden

Why Some Mormons and Post-Mormons Voted for Joe Biden in 2020: Religious Identity and Political Choice

The 2020 U.S. presidential election presented a peculiar challenge for members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While the LDS Church maintained its official position of political neutrality, many Latter-day Saints and post-Mormons found themselves navigating competing values, religious tradition, personal conscience, and evolving political identity. Mormon Stories Podcast's October 2020 episode featuring voters explaining their Biden support offers a window into how some faith-adjacent Americans reconciled their religious heritage with political choices that defied typical patterns within their communities.

Understanding why educated, often formerly devout Mormons crossed traditional voting lines illuminates broader questions about religious identity, moral reasoning, and the relationship between faith commitments and civic participation.

Background: The Mormon Political Tradition and 2020 Realignment

Mormonism has historically aligned more closely with Republican politics, particularly in Utah where the church maintains institutional and cultural dominance. The LDS Church itself has positioned women in limited roles and opposed same-sex marriage, stances that traditionally aligned with conservative politics. However, the 2020 election created fractures. According to Mormon Stories Podcast, the election was described by host John Dehlin as "probably the most divisive election" he had witnessed in his adult life, and this divisiveness extended into LDS communities.

Post-Mormon and questioning Mormon voters represented a distinct demographic: individuals with deep knowledge of LDS theology and culture but increasingly secular worldviews. Their political choices often reflected intellectual journeys away from both institutional religion and conservative orthodoxy.