Why do I have to go to a church to vote?

[info being]

I find it odd that churches are used as polling places. Why can't they just use public schools?

[LuLu550]

1. voting is very disruptive to schools

I know I work in one. The booths are in the gym so the kids can't have gym that day and if it is raining and they can't go outside, they have to have recess in their classrooms. We have a morning assembly in our elementary school that has to be canceled...we wish they would move them out of the schools.
I'm not sure about all states, I think the polling place just has to be in the actual voting district, that is open to the public and handicapped accessible.

[TXlib]

2. Are you afraid you'll burst into flame?

[LuLu550]

3. or perhaps the church will be hit by lightening?

I hadn't thought of that....:evilgrin:

[MI Cherie]

4. Less busy ...

... ever try finding a parking place at a school when in session or with after school activities?

We were in & out at the church in less than five minutes!

[Dookus]

5. usually...

there are far more churches than schools in a town. I have ONE school within a mile of me, but I can count at least 5 churches.

You'll be fine. Just don't touch that basin of water by the door: it BURNS!!!

[arwalden]

17. Basin Of Water Is TEAMING With Millions Of Contageous Pathogens...

... someone did a test and found that water from a parking lot mud puddle had less bacteria and viruses than common-use holy-water basins.

Ugh!

Maybe some chlorine tablets would help. Or a fresh water / filtered water holy-water-fountain?

-- Allen

[MrMonk]

19. What do you expect

when everyone sticks their filthy fingers in it?

[zonmoy]

6. My only problem with having elections in churches is

what is keeping them from pushing their religion on the voters when they get in the door.

[Xithras]

13. Da Rules

One of the requirements for offering a building as a polling place is that you have to remove any political signs, and that you cannot harass, harangue, or otherwise bother the people who are coming in to vote. You typically sign an agreement giving the registrar temporary control of the area being used for the polling, and you can actually be arrested in your own building if the pollworkers ask you to leave and you refuse.

If you ever go to a church and are harassed by churchmembers, complain to the pollworkers immediately, and then call up your local registrar and complain about it again. Not only should the evangelizers be ejected, but that church probably wont ever be used for polling again.

[MercutioATC]

7. Depends on the location. We use schools in Westlake, OH.

Some other communities near us use churches. I think it's done on a community-by-community basis.

[DemBones DemBones]

8. Why do I have to vote in a high school gym?

A church hall wouldn't have those barn-like acoustics, would just generally be much more comfortable, and there'd be more parking. Also we have to avoid rush time when the school buses and all the high school drivers are coming or going to the school.

[kyrasdad]

9. When I was a kid

We had Election Day off... Wha' happened?

[YellowRubberDuckie]

10. There's something disturbing about it, huh?

I mean, I thought the church and state were supposed to be separated like two fighting kids.
Duckie

[Xithras]

11. It's usually a worst case scenario kind of thing

Most registrars would rather NOT use churches because of the associated issues with church/state seperation, the forcing of people from one religion to visit another (one of my Muslim co-workers didn't vote today because his polling place was inside a synagogue), etc. The problem is that registrars typically don't have the power to just "claim" a place for voting, it has to be volunteered.

Schools aren't usually used because it's disruptive to the children, and because modern campus security procedures prohibit people from simply walking on and off the campus. At my daughters school, for example, anyone entering the campus without signing in at the office and showing a drivers license will be immediately arrested, and they absolutely will not waive this requirement for anybody. Requiring that people show their ID and sign in to a non-election related system as a prerequisite to voting could create legal issues that convinced our school board to simply prohibit voting on school grounds.

What's left outside of that? Private homes? They have to be handicapped accessible and provide a certain amount of floor space. Businesses? Few businesses are willing to have their offices disrupted for an entire day so people can vote. Parks? It's cold and rainy in many areas already. Churches are about the only places that meet the requirements, and are willing to open their doors.

Of course, this could all be avoided by requiring that elections be held on weekends. Most schools aren't open weekends, so their facilities would be available for election use. I don't see that happening anytime soon though.

[Demobrat]

12. It's a big building with lots of room

that's empty most weekdays. Why not go to a church to vote?

[gratuitous]

14. And since the building is tax exempt

It's one way a lot of churches use to pay back part of their civic obligation. I know this will be shocking news to some at DU, but not every church is a palace of institutionalized evil; some of them even contain people whose views are consontant with much of what is said here!

[4323Lopez]

15. Why would it offend you to enter a Church?

God lives there!

[Nailzberg]

16. Because people like Laurie Dan started shooting up schools

And now a non-student can't walk in the door without a body cavity search. The students are only subjected to pissing in cups, walking through metal detectors, and carrying see-though plastic or mesh bookbags.

America truely is safer under Bush.

[leftofthedial]

18. get used to it

another four years and it will be part of the service.