is it just me? Am I being petty? I just found out that my new polling place is “The Church of the Living God”. They’re well known for their stance against abortion and gays. Same applies to my last polling place. I suppose both are well suited since there’s ample parking and lots of inside space, but geez, isn’t there other alternatives? Does this happen in other countries? Somehow the argument that “it’s just a building” doesn’t suffice. It’s my understanding that the church is paid for it’s use. I seriously don’t want ANY of my tax dollars going to those assholes.
In some counties, yes, polling places get a stipend for the county’s use of their property. The regulations typically require that the church does not proselytize in the polling area.
What if it was property owned by a secular organization that held ideals with which you disagree?
Safe to say I wouldn’t care for that either. A group putting away or covering up their Nazi symbols for the day wouldn’t be enough to make it a welcoming place for many voters. I would also have issues with a group that normally excluded women and minorities from their building. These churches exclude women who have had abortions and gays who have not “repented of their sins”. By renting these churches the government is literally handing over money to them. I live in a city with lots of schools and government buildings, I don’t understand why these aren’t used instead.
I don’t disagree with you at all, @Kellii. Churches get too much money as it is via tax breaks. I am fortunate to live in a state where all voting is mail in or drop box. Of course, who knows how that’s going to play out in the near future! ![]()
I suppose that there was a time when the sole criterion for selecting a polling place was voter convenience and ample space. In my community that tends to be schools, common rooms of retirement homes, and the like. I have zero idea of whether they are compensated, church or not.
Because so much of the current regime is driven by either religious ideation or the fertile ground that it nurtures, a church hosting a fair and free election seems more ironic than it normally would. There are so many battles to fight right now that this isn’t a hill I’d pick to die on, though, so long as the election workers are unmolested and the voters left alone to do their thing.