Voting while God is watching - does having churches as polling stations sway the ballot?

[TexasTowelie]

Houses of worship may be busier than usual come Election Day as Americans head to the polls rather than the pews.

A 2010 census of religious congregations identified nearly 350,000 churches, mosques, temples and other religious establishments attended by more than 150 million Americans, primarily for spiritual needs and social relationships.

But during elections, such places double as centers of civic life – serving as community polling places. In some electoral districts, houses of worship make up a significant number of all voting places, raising important issues about whether voting in a place of worship influences how people cast their ballots.

Church and state

Voting in religious spaces is nothing new.

Americans have long been casting their ballots in the same place where they or their neighbors worship. In early America, the town meeting house often served both religious and secular functions – with the same space housing prayer meetings, schooling and town business.

Read more: https://theconversation.com/voting-while-god-is-watching-does-having-churches-as-polling-stations-sway-the-ballot-144709

[gratuitous]

1. No

[redstatebluegirl]

2. I find it really annoying that I have to vote in a right wing Baptist Church in our town.

I notice they make a point of putting up lots of religious posters around the Sunday School room we vote in. Don't try to tell me that many of them are up the rest of the time. This Church is notorious for preaching right wing propaganda from the pulpit. There has to be another option. There is a grade school right down the road.

[dsc]

5. thanks to school shootings schools can't be polling places unless they are closed for the day

[Act_of_Reparation]

8. Probably varies by locality, I would think.

My hometown had been closing down schools on election day to use them as polling places long before school shootings became the fad they are today.

[Greybnk48]

3. We're forced to vote in a Church and I think it's vulgar.

I'd rather vote at a school, or fire station, or even a McDonalds.

[Act_of_Reparation]

9. Agree.

It's essentially proselytizing to a captive audience.

[SKKY]

4. My polling station is a church actually...

...and knowing political apparel is prohibited, I have a blue t-shirt with the picture of a yellow dog on it that I intend to wear. I wonder if anyone will get it.

[LAS14]

6. In my world, in every church I know, if the vote was swayed it would be for care for one's neighbor.

That is LEFT!!!!!!

[Act_of_Reparation]

7. I don't know about "swaying" the vote, but I loathe having to vote in a church.

[brooklynite]

10. Speaking from experience...no

In the 1980s I was a Ward Committeeman in Philadelphia and our polling place was in a local church. Never had an impact. I'd be surprised if any polling site was in the main hall under a cross. They're usually in the hall or the function room.

[dsc]

11. this was a real problem with the marriage amendments

we often had to go to explicitly anti gay churches to vote against them.

[melm00se]

12. The 1st time I voted

was at Church owned and operated school gym. As a Catholic, I didn't see the Church influencing who I voted for or who could vote. My neighbor (the girl next door) was Jewish and didn't hesitate or think about the fact that this was a Christian/Catholic building

[Iggo]

13. I've voted at churches a bunch of times. It never swayed me.

Then again, I’m not an idiot.

[rownesheck]

14. I had to vote

in a fucking church in a shithole town I used to live in. If Satan had been on the ballot, I would have voted for him. That would have been the only thing that would have swayed my decision.

[Eugene]

15. My neighborhood's polling station was at a church. (1980's Boston) It was no big deal.

The city later moved it to school in a less central and prominent location. The church is in a busy city square. You have to know the area to find the school.