How do the people in this group feel about voting in churches?

[Silent3]

In GD my rather tepid complaint was taken as if I were frothing at the mouth, screaming bloody murder about my polling place being moved from a public school to a church, and then I was told mostly "Absolutely nothing wrong with it! Quit your whining and get over it!"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025425436

[NeoGreen]

1. It should be avoided whenever possible...

... but I can see the possibility of a small rural town that does not have a town hall of similar structure suitable for use as a polling station. However, I would expect that situation to be very rare and exceptional.

In densely populated area I would expect the presence of sufficient public space (e.g. libraries/schools) that the option to use any church would be unnecessary.

[Silent3]

3. We have plenty of public buildings, in the form of public schools, here. Apparently, however...

...now "Stranger danger! Think of the children!" is becoming a reason to remove these venues from consideration.

[Mariana]

7. I saw the post in which you were essentially accused

of destroying children's lives because you don't like voting in a church.

[onager]

8. Guess that's what happened here...

For many years our polling place was a Middle School here in Los Angeles. But not any more.

Despite all the warning signs (POLLING PLACE - NO CAMPAIGNING!), kids would often walk by and say stuff like: "Please don't vote for that asshole Bush."

I thought it was hilarious and it made me proud that the Youth Of America were engaged in politics.

Don't like the idea of churches being used as polling places, just for the symbolic mixing of church and state.

Unfortunately, it's one of those "long-established practices" that keep biting us in the ass.

(TL;DR - long-winded historical trivia)

e.g., Xians love to point out that George Washington was a vestryman in his local church. Implying he was intimately involved in running the church etc.

Probably not. Washington doesn't seem to have cared much for church. When he lived in Philadelphia, his preacher wrote him a letter chiding him for refusing to take Communion along with Mrs. Washington and everybody else. (A ceremony in which GW never participated, and never explained why not. Maybe he just didn't like ritual cannibalism.) Washington fired a letter back to the preacher, saying he would never set foot in the church again. And he didn't.

His position as a church vestryman was probably just for practical reasons - GW was keeping an eye on his real estate. In 18th-century America, churches were usually the biggest building in town, and also used as city halls/courthouses. Which meant property records like deeds and titles were often stored there, and in those days, easily stolen or falsified. So someone with large property holdings, like Washington, would have wanted to ensure those records were safe and secure.

[wavesofeuphoria]

2. Here, I have to cast my vote

in a Rod and Gun club ... It's nearly as bad as having to go into a church for me.

I remember in CA, our poll location was in a neighbor's garage ...

I would prefer secular, non-profit locations ... post offices, schools, government buildings, tents/shelters in a public park, etc.

[Lars39]

9. I know how you feel...

I used to vote in the Coon Hunters Club.

[Brainstormy]

4. I'd rather not

but it probably wouldn't stop me from voting. A Gun Club? That might.

[Silent3]

5. I wouldn't ever let any of this stop me from voting.

That would enhance the very voting bias that I'm bothered by these kinds of choices of polling venues producing.

[LiberalAndProud]

6. It's a building.

If it's the only way in which the often ostentatious, extravagant and useless spending is taxed, I'm not against it. If there is a fee exchanged for the privilege, that would change my opinion.

[Arugula Latte]

10. I hate going into churches. They give me the willies. Especially the ones with creepy Jesus imagery.

We vote entirely by mail in Oregon and it is great. Every state should do it.

[AlbertCat]

12. Every state should do it.

Every state should vote exactly the same way with the exact same equipment.... at least in Federal elections.

[JoeyT]

11. Well that's weird.

Some of the most ardent "You don't get to decide other people's comfort zones!" type people are in there. You know, deciding your comfort zone.

The people insisting that there are totally laws about campaigning are being willfully stupid. Yeah, because the feds always enforce the rules on religious organizations due to politics. For example, I'm sure they can make long lists of the number of churches that have been stripped of tax exemption for interfering in politics. The ones here that are used for voting never take their stupid marquees down, and almost always have right wing signs up, and usually have some dipshit handing religious pamphlets out in the parking lot to boot.

I used to joke about wishing they'd put ours in a church. Ours was at our fire station. Every year, without exception, I had to go make people move cars, because they'd park in front of the truck bays. They never moved it to a church because the only church big enough that was still in the little bitty area basically WAS a Klan meeting hall.

Edit: We had the same problem dsc mentions when cities were voting to go dry/wet in defiance of the county, and when fighting over being dry/wet at the county level. The opposition to going wet is 100% religious, and they'd plaster every inch they could reach with bullshit about how Jesus doesn't want liquor sold here, and anyone voting to sell alcohol must hate Jesus. I'm sure it didn't change the vote one bit.

[AlbertCat]

13. A church is just a building

and since religious imagery is all over hell's half acre anyway....on bill boards and t-shirts and court house lawns ... why should that bother anyone who should be voting?

Yes just a building that doesn't pay property taxes so the feds aught to be able to do anything they want in them....like store hazardous chemicals and munitions.

I always vote early... which is usually at the local Senior Center. My real polling place is the Fire Station just down the street.


Stop worrying about where and JUST VOTE!

[Silent3]

15. Was there anything in my post to even remotely suggest "worry" or a disinclination to vote?

Even in the slightest?

[AlbertCat]

20. I meant generally....

Everyone just VOTE!

Besides you asked how we feel.


I feel everyone should stop worrying about where, if you are, and JUST VOTE.


Is that spelled out clearly enough for you? Jeeze Louise!

[Iggo]

14. My polling place is a church.

Doesn't bother me.

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. If it's on a weekday (eg USA, or UK), it's less disruptive if in a church than a school

Voting in a school on a weekday means they have to put aside rooms they'd probably otherwise use. I currently vote in the 'general room' part of a church (rather than the worship part) and that seems fine to me. No separation of church and state here in the UK, of course, so no-one official would ever consider listening to an objection.

[trotsky]

17. My polling place is a church, has been for the last 15 years.

Makes me a bit uncomfortable, and I wish they could just use a school or other government building.

[Jokerman]

18. Churches are often the only site available with ample parking and space.

In a perfect world we wouldn't need to use churches for voting but for some urban areas they are seen as a safe and convenient location.

I'm for whatever increases turnout, particularly in traditionally liberal, urban precincts.

Besides, those buildings should be used for something productive, even if it's only once or twice a year.

[rexcat]

19. When a church becomes a polling place...

it is no longer a church. What needs to be done in those buildings when the church becomes a polling place is to cover all religious artifacts but I doubt that would ever happen because religious privilege has precedence in this country, especially christian privilege.

[progressoid]

21. I'm not too happy about it.

We used to vote in a school, but now its one of two churches (depending on if it's a special election or general election). Not sure why we can't find another alternative.

I can't help wonder if some voters who are easliy swayed could be influenced by the "moral authority" the building represents. Especially with issues like abortion or marriage equality. Similarly, if you were voting on a school bond issue, would voting in the school affect your choice?

[brooklynite]

22. If it's in the community hall, no problem.

Shouldn't be in the main room...

[amuse bouche]

23. Curious how the ardent defenders

would feel about voting in a Mosque

[Silent3]

24. After I posed as an extreme example voting in a KKK meeting hall...

...one defender tried to feign that it wouldn't bother her in the slightest, you know, so long as all the Klan stuff were taken down.

It was either bullshit, or more frightening if it wasn't bullshit.

[muriel_volestrangler]

26. It does get done in Britain

http://www.bradford.gov.uk/bmdc/government_politics_and_public_administration/democracy_and_elections/polling_stations

Schools, churches, mosques, pubs, golf clubs ...

[AtheistCrusader]

30. Shit, they wouldn't even allow a Mosque in Manhattan, because it was 'too close' to

an attack that had fuck-all to do with them, and the guy trying to build it was Bush's own ambassador to Islamic nations in the middle east.

[Cartoonist]

25. My club meets in a church

Not a club really. It's a Peace & Justice group. They meet every week in the church basement. I never liked it, especially when they passed the dish. I brought up my displeasure at a meeting once but since I had no alternative site, they still meet there. I stopped attending it bothers me so much.

I wouldn't like voting in a church either, but I would if I had to. Fortunately, I don't.

[AtheistCrusader]

29. Mexican restaraunts usually have a room you can use for this.

The El Caporal near my house doesn't even charge for it.

Plus, hey, full bar.

[RussBLib]

27. no big deal

...but any city should have buildings that are better suited for voting.

Voting is more important than any silly edifice dedicated to fantasy.

[AtheistCrusader]

28. I am not a fan of exploding into flames just because I tried to vote.

[Silent3]

31. A few people responded to my GD post as if...

...worrying about bursting into flames could be my only possible concern.

[AtheistCrusader]

32. Well, you know, it discolors the leather in my shoes. I really don't like it.