Should churches be used as polling places for elections

Discussion in 'Politics' started by pjdude1219, Oct 10, 2018.

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Should churches be used for polling places for elections

  1. Yes

    25.0%
  2. No, but it shouldn't be made Illegal

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  3. No and it should be illegal unless no other option exist

    50.0%
  4. We should install a monarch

    25.0%
  1. pjdude1219 The biscuit has risen Valued Senior Member

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    So I just found out my official polling place was changed to a church and i'm not happy about it. studies have shown that the building one votes in has am affect on how people vote. so basically i want to know if anyone else thinks this is not right. I think this is a flagrant violation of church and state. Given that in recent years churches have been really aggressive in their political campaigning i don't see how this is acceptable.
     
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  3. sculptor Valued Senior Member

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  5. gmilam Valued Senior Member

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    The location I have gone to has varied depending on what neighborhood I lived in. Church, schools, libraries or even at the County Elections Administration office. Never gave it much thought. Needs to be somewhere accessible with a large parking lot.
     
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  7. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    I'm fine with it. The more the better.
     
  8. el es Registered Senior Member

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    322
    I vote with the absentee ballot, because I don't like touch screen voting.

    Then again, I didn't like hole punch voting or the old lever machines either.
     
  9. Janus58 Valued Senior Member

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    2,394
    Never have voted by machine or punch hole. Even back when I used to have to go to a polling place (we have vote-by -mail now), you used a pencil to fill in the dot next to your choice, and when you were done, you dropped your ballot into a cardboard box. Now it's fill in your ballot, put it in an envelope and drop it in the mail (or drop it off at one of the collection boxes placed around town)
     
  10. cluelusshusbund + Public Dilemma + Valued Senior Member

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    7,985
    I can vote in a church if necesary... but after i will need to rush home an jump in the shower.!!!
     
  11. Michael 345 New year. PRESENT is 72 years oldl Valued Senior Member

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    I'm guessing if you tried to just wash your hands in the font it would dissolve your pinkies

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  12. Bowser Namaste Valued Senior Member

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    Before the mail-in ballot, we would go to the local school to vote. I can't imagine why there would be a need to use local churches.
     
  13. gmilam Valued Senior Member

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    3,522
    Security at schools is too tight to let people just come and go.
     
  14. pjdude1219 The biscuit has risen Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    16,479
    Um my polling place used to be school
     
  15. cluelusshusbund + Public Dilemma + Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    7,985
    When i went to a Catholic church... i found out the hard way that they had a little bowl of water just inside the front door to dip you'r fangers into... an after my girlfrind who was in front of me dipped in her fangers she suddenly stooped down to tie her shoe or somptin an i just about tripped over her cause it was so got dam dark.!!!
     
  16. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    54,036
    They are often used as public meeting places. Just like schools are for religious meetings after hours.
     
  17. Janus58 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    2,394
    This depends greatly on the circumstances. In the two instances that I know of where schools were used as polling places, they were able to make use of rooms which had their own exterior entrance for the voters to use, thus isolating them from the students and main building.
     
  18. Tiassa Let us not launch the boat ... Valued Senior Member

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    37,882
    Voting in churches has long been common.

    The thing is that our system of organizing the vote hasn't ever been comprehensive. Schools, grange halls, churches; these have long been common buildings used for polling stations. Back when we were first coming to Sciforums, I happened to live in a place where my polling site was a church, and it was known as one of the better polling stations, in part for being in the neighborhood it was, but also because there were always cookies. Indeed, I can't remember the other couple polling sites from when I lived in Seattle proper. I voted at my daughter's school in '04, a county north, and we've been voting by mail, here ... maybe ever since.

    But right there is an interesting jobs program: Should we spend public money building designated polling stations in every precinct? People will be more easily convinced to use mail ballots.

    Imagine voting in a place of private business. Imagine Facebook stepping up to sponsor a facility in every precinct.

    How about Pizza Hut?

    7-Eleven?
     
  19. iceaura Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    30,994
    In my region voting often happen in churches and political caucuses etc in high schools. This does grant some influence to the church - same as filling other civic functions such as Red Cross blood drives.
    Seems pretty routine, otherwise - nobody thinks of it as a religious duty to vote, and no religious recruitment or "reach out" is visible.
    No problem voting in schools - if security is an issue, give the kids a day off. Hell, do what sane people do and give everybody a day off.
     
  20. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    18,935
    I don't get the revulsion on going into a church.

    My stance on theism is not so fragile that merely walking into a building causes it my stance to get shaky.

    One does not fear things that cannot hurt one.
     
  21. pjdude1219 The biscuit has risen Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    16,479
    its not about a revulsion on going into a church its just i don't feel its appropriate for a polling place to be in a church given the building one is in affects how one votes
     
  22. pjdude1219 The biscuit has risen Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    16,479
    just because it is common doesn't make it appropriate. several times churches have been active participants in campaigns and than to have that same church be a polling places; this is highly inappropriate. Also in recent years several times churches have left signage up for campaigning that was flagrantly illegal. i think the conflict is too risky for it to be as common as itis.
     
  23. pjdude1219 The biscuit has risen Valued Senior Member

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    16,479
    some of what i'm talking about
    https://www.salon.com/2012/11/25/should_churches_be_used_as_polling_spots/
    https://www.huffingtonpost.com/roy-speckhardt/voting-locations_b_1219734.html
    lets be honest given the general extremist views on the right especially within the theocratic wing allowing churches to be used as polling places will increasing run into issues of people voting in an establishment that has strong campaigned for certain things to happen. in my opinion its to risky to allow that to taint our elections.
     

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