This is what we were afraid of when it became known that Mesa County was using churches as polling places.
When a local man went to the polling place in the Clifton Christian Church and mentioned he preferred that the county use non-religious locations as polling places, the poll worker pulled out the snark and told him he should “attend church on Sundays.”
Government is strictly prohibited under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment from promoting specific religious beliefs, like this poll worker did while she was representing County government.
The poll worker violated the voter’s right to be free from religious coercion in a polling place.
But we knew this would happen.
Would you like a dose of proselytizing with that vote?
A column in the October, 24, 2020 Daily Sentinel discussed how some voters are uncomfortable being forced to use religious sites to vote. In the column, a member of Western Colorado Atheists and Freethinkers (WCAF) warned that churches can take advantage of their status as polling places — and the captive audiences of voters being forced to go there — by using the opportunity to line halls with religious promotional paraphernalia, placing donation boxes nearby, and making voters walk by religious iconography to get to voting booths. What WCAF didn’t conceive of was that poll workers would be in cahoots, helping the churches proselytize.
Church lady
The voter described the incident this way:
“When I walked into the Church, I was confronted by gospel quotes, from Matthew and other bible sections, which suggest that Christianity is the only true religion, and that punishment awaits those who do not believe.
I told the poll worker, Karen, who greeted me and gave me my clipboard, that I do not feel comfortable in a Church, and requested she pass along that I would like Mesa County to consider other polling places in the future, such as non denominational schools, or public facilities.
Karen told me that I should attend Church on Sundays.
I said I did not want to attend Church, on Sundays or any other days, I am not Christian. Churches make me feel uncomfortable.
She said she was sorry I didn’t feel comfortable in Church, it was a nice place.
She told me how Mesa County was lucky to get a nice Church to give them space for the elections, one with handicapped accessibility and enough space. I did not feel like arguing with her that there were numerous more appropriate non denominational locations that were passed up, or that it seemed peculiar that the Church was one that our County leadership belonged to, or that these leaders were proponents of Christian politics.”
Mesa County owns 61 taxpayer-funded properties throughout the County, including some that are conveniently located and appropriate for use as polling places, with adequate parking, handicap accessible features, etc., including the Clifton Community Center and Fruita Road and Bridge Department buildings.
The County should use them, and drop the churches-as-polling-places idea once and for all.
Just reread your post. It had to be a Karen.
Karen is part of a cult. She is unaware; she does not “sense” it, therefore, she is unaware. Karen is the very blind her bible is talking to, which is the very bible that keeps her in a feedback loop of the very ignorance she is unaware of. Karen is darkness. Karen is living in hell, by Karen’s own choice. Leave the cult, Karen.
Its all settled.
Biden is now everyone’s president in 74 days.
And no amount of tithing or believing or praying or heaven or hell can change that. Because WE did that. WE elected him. WE save ourselves. This IS heaven, this IS hell, WE CREATE THAT THROUGH OUR OWN CHOICES, HERE, NOW.
Screw the Jesus and the stupids that adore. Just too stupid to make the connection or understand metaphor, living metaphor.
I went to the Clifton Christian Church (Mon 2 Nov) to check my ballot status. A man sitting in a handicap spot spoke very loudly, “If we can get Trump to win….” I said “Are you talking to me?” Then a pickup with flags on each corner rolled around the parking lot several times. I complained to the supervisor who did not take any information about the man who was “talking Trump”-how is this supposed to take care of voter intimidation? Clerk Tina did not mark off appropriate driving/parking at this voting place with enough room for movement of vehicles nor did she place anyone in the church parking area to prevent “Trumpers” from being “nose to nose” with voters. Clerk Tina closed county DMVs to use those employees at voting sites. She is a MESS at Elections! Wonder how well she runs DMV and Recording?
It would seem that having a church as a polling place would, say, a place for a church to preach to a voter. I live in Greeley and years ago when we 1st moved here we would go to vote at Trinity Lutheran Church. We never had a problem with that, no one ever suggested we “go to church”. But, then Colorado started mailing ballots to voters in the state & never needed to go vote there in person. We did drop off out ballots until Weld Co set up drop boxes around.
Yes, you’re right, churches must not confuse voters to cross that line between religion & gov’t.
This was in my Email inbox today: George Carlin on religion. A classic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r-e2NDSTuE