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Is it appropriate for churches to serve as voting places?

Is it appropriate for churches to serve as voting places?

  • Total voters
    42
TurtleDude said:
I just don't see anything that is deleterious to using churches
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Churches (and other private venues) are more likely to try to prevent things like petitioning and electioneering on their premises. Obviously case law is pretty clear on the subject, if they are polling stations, they are public forums for political speech for the time being, but that doesn't mean there wont be complications. Have had to duke this issue out numerous times with local PD and city attorneys who are trying to restrict access, usually end up winning, but have been forced to leave on numerous occasions. The state SOS offices are usually not any help on this matter either. This wouldn't be a problem if voting only took place at public venues.
 
radcen said:
Is it appropriate for churches to serve as voting places?
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Absolutely not -- I am not allowed to enter a church. I am a Conservadox Jew. We will not enter a Conservative or Reform synagogue or a church.
 
It is highly inappropriate.

Especially now days with the way that the most ridiculous Right Wing propaganda is getting circulated from the churches.
 
Painter said:
It is highly inappropriate.

Especially now days with the way that the most ridiculous Right Wing propaganda is getting circulated from the churches.
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Do you think they are having a church service in the room with the voting booths while the voting is going on? :roll:
 
countryboy said:
Do you think they are having a church service in the room with the voting booths while the voting is going on? :roll:
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Churches put a lot of pressure on people to vote a certain way. Ministers and preachers often preach more politics than religion.
Americans are mostly sheep that are more attracted to one liners than logic. Being #36 world wide in education can not be helping things.
I must believe that there is some percentage of Americans who are affected by having the vote take place in their church where their preacher just told them how to vote the day before.
 
I feel very uncomfortable walking into a Catholic church. I'd be even more uncomfortable if it were a synagogue or a mosque. So sure, I guess it's perfectly fine.
 
Painter said:
Churches put a lot of pressure on people to vote a certain way. Ministers and preachers often preach more politics than religion.
Americans are mostly sheep that are more attracted to one liners than logic. Being #36 world wide in education can not be helping things.
I must believe that there is some percentage of Americans who are affected by having the vote take place in their church where their preacher just told them how to vote the day before.
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I have been attending different churches my entire life, not once, has a preacher, pastor, priest, or minister ever even suggested how I vote. You are exaggerating, at best. My polling station has also been a Nazarine church hall for about fifteen years. Not once has there ever been any suggestion of how to vote, nor has there been any proselytizing, preaching, or God stuff at the polling station.

Where have you heard that churches "put a lot of pressure on people to vote a certain way"? Where have you heard, "Ministers and preachers often preach more politics than religion"? Because I have never seen it. I suspect you are telling tall tales.
 
foadi said:
I don't think it's appropriate for polls to be located at anything other than public buildings or public places. A big pet peeve of mine is when polling places are located inside supermarkets. Absolutely disgusts me.
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In our area the polling takes place in a neighbors garage... I always though that was strange...
 
Very inappropriate... in fact, I have never heard of that.

On a very simplistic level does Separation of Church and State apply?
 
radcen said:
Is it appropriate for churches to serve as voting places?
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I say yes. All the polling places I been to vote are either schools or churches. In my city there are more churches then there are schools/government buildings per square mile.If the churches were barred from serving as polling places then voters would have to go further to vote.Although I suppose the alternative could be is that polling places set up tents.But that would be a problem due to electricity, lack of land and weather. Just building a permanent designated polling place probably would be a lot more costly seeing how it would hardly get any use and voting precincts are sometimes redrawn.
 
molten_dragon said:
I have no problem with it.

I think every polling place I've ever used was a church, and I've never felt any pressure to vote differently because I was voting at a church.

And honestly, from a practical standpoint, what would you replace churches with as polling places?
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Schools,libraries, rec centers.
 
i don't see why not. if they follow election rules, they should be an acceptable polling place. i did click the wrong box in this particular poll, though. long week.
 
disneydude said:
Schools,libraries, rec centers.
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Schools are in session on election day, so that's not a very good choice.

Libraries and rec centers aren't nearly as common as churches, so those aren't really valid replacements either.
 
molten_dragon said:
Schools are in session on election day, so that's not a very good choice.

Libraries and rec centers aren't nearly as common as churches, so those aren't really valid replacements either.
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My parents voted at my elementary school the entire time I was growing up. I voted at a high school when I was old enough to vote. It was never an issue with being too crowded or disruptive. I also voted one time at a supermarket. They set up the polling places near the pharmacy. There are plenty of alternatives.
 
Again , a "no vote" .
why ?
the none of the above option is missing.
You seem to want a simple answer for a complex question ...
If churches were to be taxed and religion was far more "honest" . then yes, people could discuss politics there, argue and VOTE !
Will this change ? NO , not as long as conservatives stay in power .
 
never because God hates politics!
 
Goshin said:
In many cases, a local church is the most convenient free space to use for the purpose, so why not.
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For several years I had to drive further out in the country than I live to vote at a small church whose congregants were black. Later, I was able to drive just a mile+ to vote in at a rodeo arena's office building.

The voting machines were the same. ;)
 
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