Spiritual Resources  

Do I have the freedom of conscience to vote as I see fit?
The Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith stated, "A well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program or individual law that contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals." (PCPL, Participation of Catholics in Political Life)
If we are to trust our conscience, it must be formed, and our moral judgement enlightened, by the truths God reveals to us through Church.  The education of our conscience is a lifelong task (see CCC, 1784)
In voting, as in every other decision with moral consequences, we must always seek to make a right judgement that is in accordance with reason and God's law.  The Church has been given to us as a guide in such decisions. (see CCC, 1783-1802)
excerpt from: Guidelines for Catholic Voters, Paul Thigpen, 2004, Our Sunday Visitor
The Gospel of Life, Encyclical from Saint Pope John Paul II: Click here to read.
USCCB Living the Gospel of Life: Paragraphs 22-23:  22.   As we stressed in our 1995 statement Political Responsibility: "The application of Gospel values to real situations is an essential work of the Christian community."  Adopting a consistent ethic of life, the Catholic Church promotes a broad spectrum of issues "seeking to protect human life and promote human dignity from the inception of life to its final moment."⁹  Opposition to abortion and euthanasia does not excuse indifference to those who suffer from poverty, violence and injustice.  Any politics of human life must work to resist the violence of war and the scandal of capital punishment.  Any politics of human dignity must seriously address issues of racism, poverty, hunger, employment, education, housing, and health care. Therefore, Catholics should eagerly involve themselves as advocates for the weak and marginalized in all these areas.  Catholic public officials are obliged to address each of these issues as they seek to build consistent policies which promote respect for the human person at all stages of life. But being 'right' in such matters can never excuse a wrong choice regarding direct attacks on innocent human life.   Indeed, the failure to protect and defend life in its most vulnerable stages renders suspect any claims to the 'rightness' of positions in other matters affecting the poorest and least powerful of the human community.  If we understand the human person as the "temple of the Holy Spirit" -- the living house of God -- then these latter issues fall logically into place as the crossbeams and walls of that house.  All direct attacks on innocent human life, such as abortion and euthanasia, strike at the house's foundation.   These directly and immediately violate the human person's most fundamental right --  the right to life.  Neglect of these issues is the equivalent of building our house on sand.  Such attacks cannot help but lull the social conscience in ways ultimately destructive of other human rights.  As Pope John Paul II reminds us, the command never to kill establishes a minimum which we must respect and from which we must start out "in order to say 'yes' over and over again, a 'yes' which will gradually embrace the entire horizon of the good" (Evangelium Vitae, 75).
23.     Since the entry of Catholics into the U.S. political mainstream,  believers have struggled to balance their faith with the perceived demands of democratic pluralism.  As a result, some Catholic elected officials have adopted the argument that, while they personally oppose evils like abortion, they cannot force their religious views onto the wider society.  This is seriously mistaken on several key counts.  First, regarding abortion, the point when human life begins is not a religious belief but a scientific fact -- a fact on which there is clear agreement even among leading abortion advocates.  Second, the sanctity of human life is not merely Catholic doctrine but part of humanity's global ethical heritage, and our nation's founding principle.  Finally, democracy is not served by silence.  Most Americans would recognize the contradiction in the statement, "While I am personally opposed to slavery or racism or sexism I cannot force my personal view on the rest of society."  Real pluralism depends on people of conviction struggling vigorously to advance their beliefs by every ethical and legal means at their disposal.
Click here to read the full document. 
Quick Voting Guide:  Click here to see a quick quide.
EWTN comprehensive review: Click here to see a fuller explanation of Catholic teaching and guidance on voting.
USCCB Forming a good conscience: Click here.