There’s always a lot to process after major elections, but when it comes to the openly non-religious and explicitly atheist candidates on the 2022 ballots for state or federal office, we know quite a bit as the results continue rolling in.

With help from the Freethought Equality Fund PAC and the Center for Freethought Equality—both of which are affiliated with the American Humanist Association—OnlySky was able to track the candidates who declared their non-religiosity. They use a variety of labels to describe themselves, but these are all people who don’t subscribe to organized religion.

Why do this at all? Because there’s a longstanding belief that atheists are unelectable in the United States. After all, only 60% of Americans say they would vote for a well-qualified atheist even if that person was from their own party, and there’s only one openly Humanist member of Congress (Rep. Jared Huffman). ...