Is your polling location a non-secular setting?

[bearsfootball516]

I moved to Florida about half a year ago and recently registered to vote. I decided to drive over to my new polling location since google maps told me it was only a couple miles away, just so I knew where it was. I arrived there, and it's in a church.

Now, I don't have any problem with religion. But I feel like there's a clear violation of the separation between church and state by having a polling location in a church, and I know that many polling locations are in churches.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

[Girard442]

1. Here in deep-blue NY, my polling pace is a church.

No visible issues, but, yeah, sounds to me like a separation issue.

[backtoblue]

2. Nope not alone

My voting station is in a church as well. I wonder how this started? Good questions to be asking bearsfootball516

[spinbaby]

10. In my borough, at least...

...if we didn’t vote at the church, we’d have to vote at the borough building where there are parking issues. The church has space and parking, so why not if they’re willing?

[backtoblue]

20. I've never thought about it before to be honest.

It's been at the same church since I was old enough to vote. I've never had any problems voting there. It's in the gym of the church and they do a lot of community help. That being said, it is interesting now that it's been brought up, how there could potentially be a conflict of interest in the future. I'm gonna have to think on this for a bit

[trc]

14. Churches are used because there are so few

secular community centers widely available. I have never been approached at a church by any one but poll workers. I am an atheist who attended a baptist university...I can clearly recognize proselytizing when it is happening.

[Sneederbunk]

3. If someone needs an excuse not to vote they will find it.

[Freedomofspeech]

4. Ours used to be at a fire station but they moved it to a church...

I feel the same way.

[smirkymonkey]

5. Mine is in a residential building community room.

In a very democratic neighborhood in Boston.

[spinbaby]

6. Mine is in a church

Church basement, separate entrance, no religion in sight. I have no problem with it.

[FSogol]

7. Is it in the actual sanctuary or in a fellowship hall?

Mine is at the local elementary school.

Is large public space with free parking at a premium in your district?

[bearsfootball516]

8. I believe it's in a fellowship hall, so that helps

As far as other potential locations, I do believe there are other spots that could be used, but I know churches are common polling places.

[FarCenter]

27. Ours used to be at a school, but now is in a more crowed community center with less parking

It disrupted the school, and having the voters wander in and out of the school is a security issue.

[FSogol]

36. For major elections, they have a teacher's work day, so no students in the school

For minor elections, they make the voters go in the certain entrance that seals off from the school.

[Nevernose]

9. Schools close on Election Day here

It’s a day off for students and employees. Most of the schools become polling locations and they don’t want a bunch of strangers wandering into campus, plus it ensures that school district employees don’t have an excuse not to vote.

I’m going to recommend/ask my state assemblyman (who is a Democrat much too centrist for my liking, but a close enough friend that if I call, they will probably answer) to sponsor a bill making the first Tuesday in November of even numbered years a state holiday, making voting possible for a lot more people. Theoretically that could be most state offices and most banks.

[logosoco]

11. For years we voted at the community center.

Because of an increase in population, that place was no longer usable (not enough parking on election day). So we got moved to some place that is a church but not really a church. Something about a God camp or something and they were new to the area. I emailed the election board because it did not feel right (they have a huge 10 commandment statue). They replied that I should just treat it like a business. (eyeroll!).

Now this "church organization" is cutting down a huge swath of trees in a beautifully wooded area. The adjacent homes have signs in their yards displaying their anger about it.


But even the creep factor will not deter me from voting! And the place does have a wonderful view of our beautiful wooded hills (which I am hoping the cutting down of the trees does not ruin!)

[Cirque du So-What]

12. I've voted in churches

an auto dealership, schools, headquarters for an org that helps blind people, township admin offices, and a shack at the intersection of two rural roads. In none of the cases where I voted in churches did any proselytizing occur. They're just polling places on election day.

[tammywammy]

13. I early vote at the courthouse, but the voting day location is either a rec center or school. n/t

[NightWatcher]

15. Just be sure to flash your "hail satan" if the churchiness gets on you.

Most of the time the polling place is in a social hall that could be mistaken for an American Legion lodge.

If you go and they try to push religion on you, bring it up with your supervisor of elections. Check it out at the earliest election or primary in case they do need to change.

I understand your feelings completely. I'm an atheist and don't like going into weird (to me) spiritual places.

[pintobean]

16. It's just a building.

[Roland99]

17. In KY i had voted at churches a time or two. In FL it has been golf course clubs

[bobbieinok]

18. Was school, now a catholic church school. Mom's was in 1 church, then changed to another

[csziggy]

19. It used to be - now it is in a private "retreat" building

Built by a local business and rented for various events.

The historic church where we used to vote no longer had enough parking and the logistics of getting in and out were difficult, especially for people with mobility problems.

But I no longer vote at the polling place for my precinct since I vote during the early voting period. Most of those locations in this part of the county are in public libraries and access and parking are much easier. In addition, the lines are much shorter so voting is easier.

[MuseRider]

21. I vote in a church.

It is the only place in my very small community that would have the room. It is a small, very very old building so I do not hate going into it because it is historic and beautiful and the people working the voting are neighbors and nice people.

In the past I have voted at High Schools, a bank that had an extra area for events, a nursing home and...I think that is all. It does not bother me. I do not have to look at the stuff on the walls or read the posters. It does not bother or concern me at all. I do not know how it might look to others though. Here in tiny village areas the church is mostly it since the VFW is long long closed.

[hack89]

22. A church. No big deal. Nt

[Runningdawg]

23. With the exception of the YMCA in NYC

all most all of my polling locations have been churches. As of 2015, I have voted in a library.

[Demit]

24. It is difficult to find a suitable space for a couple of days a year.

I was a long-time poll worker.

The space has to be big enough to accommodate voting machines, a table & chairs for pollworkers to sit at, an area for voters to sit if they have to fill out an absentee ballot, and room for decent traffic flow (voters entering/voters leaving). It has to be wheelchair accessible. Ideally, it is centrally located in the precinct so it's roughly equidistant from all voters.

Can you think of a business willing to close for a day so that election boards can use the space? Sometimes a school can accommodate you. Sometimes the lobby of a large apartment building. Sometimes there is an empty space waiting to be rented and the owner will let you take it over. You want to find a space that will be available year after year, because you can't believe the hassle involved in changing a polling place, after your voters have gotten used to where it is.

Our polling place was in a church. Churches don't have service on Tuesdays, so you didn't feel you were in a church, especially after we plastered all the necessary signage all over the space. I can't imagine any of our voters felt that religion was encroaching in any way on them as they voted.

[brooklynite]

25. As long as it's not in the main church space, no...

I was once a Ward Committeeman in Philadelphia, and my district voted in a Church basement. Never bothered me or any of the voters.

[GentryDixon]

26. High School.

Before that, the local fire station.

[struggle4progress]

28. My polling location is a church classroom building. The place is easy to find with adequate parking

I've reserved some of their facilities for other community uses: they've been pleasant and coopoerative and have never leaned on me for anything

[Still In Wisconsin]

29. I am a Jew, I vote at a Catholic church.

It's never bothered me personally, but I do think a secular location would be better. I would feel the same if I voted at my Synagogue.

[procon]

30. Sometimes there is no other option.

My small rural community, has a church, a market, a feedstore, a cafe, gas, and a volunteer fire station. We have used the fire station a couple of times in the past because one of the volunteers was retired from his regular day job and was available to roll the truck out and open up the bay for voters. Parking is limited to maybe a half dozen cars at a time, so people had to wait or park on the side street and walk in deep sand to get back to the station. No one liked that location compared to the church which is was right on the main road and has plenty of parking. Voters use their community room, not the church itself, and it is air conditioned, and has seating for anyone who has to wait.

I don't have a problem as no one from the church is hanging around, and no one is proselytizing. There's not even much in the way of religious decorations because other groups rent out the space for their activities so its more like a commercial building next to a church.

[hexola]

31. Mine is also a Church

Around the corner.

Never really see the worship area - just the front office.

South Central PA

[NCDem777]

32. My big problem with polling places in churches

is that churches aren't handicap accessible

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

33. Churches are a logical choice because they have a decent amount of space

and decent parking. And they are generally not being used on Tuesdays, when most of our voting takes place.

In some places with sufficiently small precincts, people might vote in someone's garage. A good friend's mother's garage was a polling place while he was growing up.

[elleng]

34. The separation, spoken of in the First Amendment:

'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.'

NO violation of this, by using church facililities for public acts such as voting, imo.

[CentralMass]

35. We vote by mail in Oregon..

[longship]

37. In rural Michigan most everybody votes at their township hall.

For me, that means a rather long drive, since I live at one corner of the township and the township hall is near a border on the other side. There is national forest between, so no passable roads. One has to drive miles out of the way to get there.

Recently I have been asking for an absentee ballot, although I kind of miss visiting with the poll workers on Election Day.

[TheBlackAdder]

38. My NJ town used to se schools, fire houses, etc. But moved out of schools for child security.

The schools near us require people entering to go through a central security checkpoint while in session.

Even students who leave the building or arrive late.

[blueinredohio]

39. When I lived in the country my polling place was a fire station, now that I live in town my polling

place is also a church. I wondered the same thing.

[crazycatlady]

40. I used to vote at a church

Until 2002. Then the church had renovations and the polling place was since moved to the American Legion building. (I don't vote there anymore but my parents do).

My current polling location is the fire house. I vote by mail though.

Often churches are the only places around that have accessible locations and enough parking. As long as it is in the fellowship hall (and not the room where services are held) I have no problem with it. Schools have this too but opening up a school to the public during school hours (especially in light of this week's shooting) presents a security issue for the children. (I never had off from school on Election Day).

[USALiberal]

41. I am an atheist, vote in a church, never has been an issue. n.t

[Frustratedlady]

42. I just moved, as well. My polling place is now in a country golf club. Where would you list that!

Before I moved, my polling places were either schools or churches. I don't find that unusual, but I see your questioning the practice re:separation of church/state.

Knowing many of the golf club members, I'd say that site is pretty safe as most are about as far from religious as it gets...at least on every day but Sunday. You might find some in the front row during services, if you get my drift.

[crazycatlady]

43. I think a church is a better polling location than a school

If school is in session that day.

Given this week's events (and previous events), I think schools should not be open to the public when school is in session.

Growing up we had 1/2 day on election day (elementary school only). My high school was a polling location (don't know if it still is) and they have a full day.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

44. My polling place used to be in a church, but they moved it . . .

to another church.

[WhiteTara]

45. here too.

When we first moved here it was in a large hotel lobby, but they moved it very shortly after that and now it's the catholic church.