Is your polling location in a church?

[earthling]

So we would use churches to test that?

[NDTeve]

seems pretty overly sensitive...some people will get offended by anything.

[earthling]

Again, it's not just about being 'offended' or whatever. It's about churches that have political agendas not being a neutral voting location. If churches host voting, have a political agenda and hosting churches have higher voter participation, that's not something to ignore. Of course for some who are religious, they may think nothing of a church as a location and think others are just overreacting.

[lock+load]

It's not particularly just about potential proselytizing, it's also about an increasing number of churches having a political agenda, which does not make some a neutral location.

How does a generic room with tables, chairs and crazy old election judges influence the election? It is just a building. It is not staffed by church members, unless they happen to be there to put out a plate of cookies for voters. There is just no reason to be offended.

How many church members actually live in the precinct voting at that church anyway? And even if they do, are they really more motivated to vote because the polling location is at the church? Highly unlikely.

[heatherkay]

I would be more concerned by the politics of the election judges who are actually there during voting than by the politics of the empty building. And you're kidding yourself if you think that schools and community centers don't have a political agenda, especially during local elections in which tax issues are on the ballot.

[earthling]

Polling 'locations' should at least attempt to be neutral. More and more church 'locations' are not. Yeah, schools can be a non neutral location when there is a school item on the ballot.

[KCMax]

Trying to remember all the places I've lived and voted. I think twice it has been a church, once an elementary school, and once a library.

Activities around polling places are pretty strict, so I don't think its a huge problem to have polling at churches to be honest. But the subconscious effect is interesting and should be studied I think.

[earthling]

And it would be interesting to see if voter participation is higher for churches that host a location.

[aknowledgeableperson]

Am talking about church impact on elections as voting locations, not weddings/funerals impact on elections. If voter participation is higher in churches that host locations, especially churches that have a political agenda, that's not something to ignore.

Many are not neutral locations.

Was referring to your comment about being "ackward and uncomfortable".

So the particular church has a political agenda. So what? With election laws electioneering is prohibited inside the polling station and within 25 ft or so of the doors. For the last election earlier this month we had about a 50% turnout and that was in a church. And that compared to the 2008 election that was held in a school.

Some precincts have high turnouts, others have low turnouts. Turnout depends on the make-up of the precinct and the what the election is about. What one wants to vote for or against has a great effect. Seriously doubt where that vote takes place overrides that.

[lock+load]

Do you have any reported instances of a church using its status as a polling location to actually influence an election?

This is exactly the kind of intolerance I would expect from the very churchs you seem to dislike so much.

[earthling]

Well it is clear that there are more and more churches that have a political agenda. Many reports on that. Places that have very clear political agendas are not neutral voting locations.

It seem some specifically want churches to be voting locations. Now that is curious.

[grovester]

I would imagine the churches with a known public agendas are specifically not used as polling places, but I can't vouch for Alabama. But I don't think changing Alabama's polling locations is going to swing it blue.

[heatherkay]

The point I was trying to make is that there is no such thing as a totally neutral location. All social activity has a political component. Even in elections without a levy on the ballot, every local election affects local schools because of who's running for city council, for example. If anything, libraries and schools are more directly dependent on the outcome of every single election. Churches care about the big picture social issues. Libraries care about the money.

Every church building I have ever voted in directs you through the back door, not through the sanctuary. They get vetted, they get audited, they are making every effort to be neutral. The real danger to democracy is the fact that nobody votes in primary elections, driving candidates further and further to the ends of the political spectrum, away from those of us in the big fat center of the bell curve. Especially in the Republican party, with its organized evangelical voting block. If anything, there should be more polling places, making voting easier. The idea that you might have to stand in line and be late for work is what's damaging, not the name on the sign on the door.

[earthling]

Add Internet voting.

[WSPanic]

My polling place has always been a church. I'm pretty liberal and Jewish. Never heard one single mention of god, religion or anything else. It's a building. Not sure what issue any rational thinking person could have with filling out a ballot in a church. Would think anyone that did truly have an issue, but still wanted vote could just go absentee/early.

[heatherkay]

Internet voting is great, but as we can see from the ongoing google sign-ups, there is a very large swath of Kansas City that does not have easy access to the internet.

[shinatoo]

Church's are used because they are readily available, semi-public, willing locations. Election judges are present to enforce rules.

You can always request a absentee ballot.

You should never tolerate any kind of influence in the poling place, though.

[WSPanic]

Church's are used because they are readily available, semi-public, willing locations. Election judges are present to enforce rules.

You can always request a absentee ballot.

You should never tolerate any kind of influence in the poling place, though.

I have more of a problem with electioneering at the polling places. While it's not supposed to be allowed, they set up on the sidewalk outside of the polling entrance and force interaction.

[shinatoo]

Church's are used because they are readily available, semi-public, willing locations. Election judges are present to enforce rules.

You can always request a absentee ballot.

You should never tolerate any kind of influence in the poling place, though.

I have more of a problem with electioneering at the polling places. While it's not supposed to be allowed, they set up on the sidewalk outside of the polling entrance and force interaction.

I believe they have to be a certain number of feet from the entrance.

[heatherkay]

Yeah -- if you can't get in and out without interacting, you should say something to the election official.