Would all of you take the same position if a church being used as a voting location on election day hung a “Black Lives Don’t Matter” or a “Ban All Abortions” banner out front, and refused to remove it while the polls were open?
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That is a soul searing question. And the sign on the property as opposed to maybe a picket on the sidewalk . . .
I imagine the ACLU would defend those inflammatory banners if asked, such as with neo-Nazis and the Klan over the years:
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Also has to include the event board in front announcing the upcoming sermon, lots of ways to “trigger” someone on their way to vote.
Actually, @irasdad covered that one…
And sure. Let 'em put up their fucking signs. The more people who vote, the more places people have to vote, the worse for them. I’d be happy to raise a middle finger at them by walking right past that sign and voting Dem.
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I hear you but it’s not really fair to compare all female LE and military to those two officers unless you’re prepared to compare all the men to the male cops who also were less than valiant.
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Do you even have to ask? I think we know the answer already.
NO church, synagogue, mosque or temple should be a polling station. Every public school and university has a gymnasium or cafeteria paid for by tax dollars. Use them.
In my county, church buildings that were not worship centers (I.e. halls or schools) were common voting places about 20 years ago - mainly because population growth outstripped the number of public buildings available. [several public schools were using trailers as temporary classrooms because the county council failed to plan ahead for all the new development they approved]
Now that construction has caught up most voting centers are either schools, recreation centers, senior centers, or volunteer fire company halls.
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Nah, they just smell that way!
You’re from the Central Valley. Eastern California is transmontane. Bishop, for example.
Also a sizable Sikh community. They are generally quite wealthy.
Now that California has mail in ballots I wonder what percentage of people actually go to a physical polling place. Here in my rural Colorado county, where we’ve had mail in voting for a number of years, and I believe in person voting has dropped to less than 2-3% of the votes cast. Only two places are now available for in person voting, and both are government buildings.
”…a voter complained that the church was boosting a “known domestic terrorist group…”
Using what as evidence, Fresno…?
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Somewhat separately, but not entirely, is the general question of the suitability as a polling place of houses of worship which may have religious symbols on prominent display.
Respublicanus californiensis (critically endangered) 
One time after redistricting split the only public buildings in my precinct into another congressional district, there was literally nowhere indoors left to vote. No fire stations, schools, office buildings, churches, nothing. We had to pair up with another precinct that had a school. I’d have been happy for a church I could walk to.
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I am a “card carrying member” (yes, that phrase dates me)
of the ACLU precisely because they defend the free speech rights to people who piss me off just as vigorously as people who agree with me.
Somehow I doubt that was a coincidence.
This is how Nunes is trying to win re-election. His district contains this church.
Old friends of mine were very involved in that church for years and years. Last time I saw them, a couple of years ago, they were moving but much of the conversation was about it. There a joke about UU churches always being on dead ends - ours is, but theirs isn’t. Perfectly fine as a polling place. Good for that congregation for standing up on this issue.
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