Grandmother forced out of polling center

[El Supremo]

COLORADO SPRINGS (AP) - A Colorado Springs woman who sported a button reading: "Grandmothers for Peace" as she cast her ballot early this week says she was pitched from the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's Office.

http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=a3fffe7b-0abe-421a-0003-831dd811d8f2&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf

Well, supporting peace is now a political issue. At least in that bastion city of right wing freaks.

[iamjoy]

1. Oh, That Doesn't Go Far Enough

Shall we inspect the cars coming into the polling place and not permit them to park within so many feet of the entrance (based on state or local oridnances) if they have a rainbow flag or "Choose Life" plate? For these are political issues

Hey, let's really get rid of politicking around the polling places. Let's make it illegal to use a church as a polling place. Let's say no one can wear a religious symbol (Crucifix, Cross, Star of David, Hajib, Burka) into a polling place.

After all, these are political statements.

I'm only being partially sarcastic.

[noamnety]

2. I thought Bush was the "Peace President"

Whoever complained was presumptuous about the concept of peace being linked to one party or another. UNLESS, of course, they had reason to believe Bush was lying about the Peace President thing. :)

[Divine Discontent]

18. BBUTT BUTTT

"when I talk about war, I'm really talking about PEACE" - GEORGE W. BUSH 6/18/2002

Another GEM!

"My plan reduces the national debt, and fast. So fast, in fact, that economists worry that we're going to run out of debt to retire." —radio address, Feb. 24, 2001


www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable <<-- antibush prodem stickers/shirts

[TexasLawyer]

3. "violated a law against campaigning "

Since when is advocating peace the equivalent of "campaigning"?

If it is, then there are an awful lot of churches about to lose their 501(c)(3) status!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

6. ACLU is backing her

and says it was most likely unconstitutional to remove her.

[libhill]

13. Sue their fukkin asses to hell and back

n/t

[elehhhhna]

7. Party & candidate stuff is a no-no. Peace? Not prohibited by election code.

[mom cat]

16. Yes indeed! That Prince of Peace stuff can get downright dangerous!

Not to mention the Good Will to All!

[shochet]

4. I asked about this very thing

I am an election judge this year and at the training I asked if a peace sign was considered politicking at the polls, and I was told that it was not because war was not on the ballot.
:crazy:

[druidity33]

19. interesting username...

Are you or do you know a schochet?

edited to add:
Welcome to DU!

[deadmessengers]

5. it figures

I had a job offer earlier last year that would have involved a relocation to Colorado Springs. After my sweetie and I did a little research and found out that the place was a fundie wingnut haven, sometimes referred to as the "Protestant Vatican", I quickly but respectfully declined the job offer. Crap like this just validates that decision.

[noonwitch]

8. Was she allowed to remove it, come back, and vote?

Because then, there wouldn't really be any issue for the ACLU to fight.

Somehow, it doesn't sound like that's the case, though.

[El Supremo]

9. Denver Post:

Colorado Springs - A voter who wore a "Grandmothers for Peace" button while casting an early ballot at the El Paso County Clerk & Recorder's Office was escorted from the building after she refused to remove the button.

Election officials asked Rita Ague, 63, to cover her button Monday, saying she was electioneering within the 100-foot limit of a polling place.

"It's the law," said Terry Sholdt, acting director of the election department. "We don't allow people to wear anything political. Grandmothers for Peace is an active political organization."

Ague, a grandmother of four, said she is not a member of Grandmothers for Peace and has been wearing the button for 10 years because she believes in what it says.

"I'm a grandmother and I believe in peace, I believe in love and I believe in justice," she said.

Ague contacted the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado Tuesday. Cathryn Hazouri, executive director, said Ague's removal from the public building was likely unconstitutional.

She said electioneering occurs when a person campaigns within 100 feet of a polling place for something tied to the ballot - a candidate or an issue.

"Peace is not political," Hazouri said. "I don't think there were any peace candidates and I don't think there were any war candidates. Peace and war were not on the ballot."

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4582808

[stepnw1f]

10. Right Wingers are ATTACKING Democracy

and we should build a thread that lists the number of violations they commit. Let's build up our ammo for post election...

[libhill]

14. Redistribute their wealth,

take their guns away, send them to re-education camps.

[Megahurtz]

11. Sounds like they're NOT for Peace.

:( Everyday now something just blows me away.

[cwilper]

12. Relevant Colorado State Law

From:
http://198.187.128.12/colorado/lpext.dll/Infobase4/3/28/1d26/1eaf/1f5b?f=templates&fn=document-frame.htm&2.0#JD_1-13-714

1-13-714. Electioneering - removing and return of ballot.

No person shall do any electioneering on the day of any election within any polling place or in any public street or room or in any public manner within one hundred feet of any building in which a polling place is located, as publicly posted by the designated election official. As used in this section, the term "electioneering" includes campaigning for or against any candidate who is on the ballot or any ballot issue or ballot question that is on the ballot. "Electioneering" also includes soliciting signatures for a candidate petition, a recall petition, or a petition to place a ballot issue or ballot question on a subsequent ballot. "Electioneering" shall not include a respectful display of the American flag. No person shall remove any official ballot from the polling place before the closing of the polls. Any person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished as provided in section 1-13-111.

Provided that war is not on the ballot, the only way this could possibly constitute "electioneering" is if the button endorsed a particular candidate, which I doubt.

[EFerrari]

17. Welcome to DU, cwilper

Thanks for the info.

:)

[Xithras]

15. I've been thrown out of a polling place before.

I went to vote in 2000 wearing my Gore/Lieberman t-shirt. The poll workers refused to give me a ballot and threatened to have me arrested if I didn't leave (I asked if I could just get my ballot, vote quickly, and leave before I "influenced" anybody, at which point the arrest threat came out). I had to go home and change my shirt before I was able to vote.

Of course, I found this all very ironic since the polling place was in a CHURCH, with an American flag hanging right below the cross. Nope, can't advocate peace in a polling place, but crosses and patriotic symbolism is A-OK!

As I understand it, in California even having a political BUMPER STICKER on your car is illegal if you park within 100 feet of the polling station entrance. They can refuse to give you a ballot, demand that you move your car, and have it towed if you refuse. There isn't even an exemption for handicapped voters, so the law effectively bans politically active handicapped voters from parking in handicapped spaces in front of their polling place.

[Katzenjammer]

20. "so the law effectively bans"

"There isn't even an exemption for handicapped voters, so the law effectively bans politically active handicapped voters from parking in handicapped spaces in front of their polling place."

I think it actually bans them from having a visible sticker, doesn't it? Surely it would be okay to park there if the sticker were covered over.

[truth2power]

21. "effectively" bans. n/t

[Demeter]

22. I Work the Polls and We HAVE TO Have an American Flag

It's a law somewhere--if there isn't one, we are issued one to hang for the duration.