More than 1,200 clergy members and volunteers are preparing to stand outside polling places in nine states for the midterm elections, serving in a role organizers call “poll chaplains” and “peacekeepers.”

According to reporting by The Associated Press, cited by Charisma Magazine Online, the effort is organized by Faiths United in Saving Democracy, which had recruited 1,235 volunteers as of October 19 ahead of the November 3 elections.

The volunteers are expected to be deployed in Texas, Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Virginia, according to Premier Christian News, also cited in the report.

Although the effort uses the term “chaplain,” it is not strictly a Christian operation. The coalition includes Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Quaker, Buddhist, and nonreligious volunteers, and the Associated Press reported that most of the participating organizations are moderate or progressive.

Volunteers are receiving training in conflict de-escalation, immigrant rights, and how to respond to potential problems outside polling locations, according to the Associated Press account.

Their stated assignment is to help keep the peace around polling places — to calm tensions, assist voters who encounter difficulties, and be a steady, nonviolent presence on Election Day.

The effort comes as churches and faith leaders across the country weigh how best to serve their neighbors during a heated election season — whether by praying, by volunteering, or simply by being present where people gather.

Whatever form that service takes, the work of peacemaking begins long before Election Day: in congregations that pray for their communities, care for their neighbors, and point people to a hope that does not rise or fall with any election result.