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Voting in Churches

post #1 of 11
9/19/08 at 11:06pm
Thread Starter 
Our federal election is a few weeks away and one of the candidates for my riding is Dutch. I have to vote at a Dutch Church. I don't like that. Nothing against Dutchies but I just don't like the fact that I have to vote at a Dutch church when there's a Dutch candidate in the riding. I'd feel the same way if there was a Christian candidate and i had to vote at a Christian Church.

I just feel that Churches and places of religion should not be allowed to be used as a polling station for election days. Any one else bothered by this? Or you don't care?

We used to vote at a school gymnasium. That never seemed to be a problem. It's one day out of the year for the school to not use the gym. Big deal. Take the kids outside for gym class. Take them to the gym and have them learn about the voting process (we did this back in grade 4 or 5 when they used our gymnasium as a polling station).
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post #2 of 11
9/19/08 at 11:10pm
My voting place is a church, too. When I first saw it on the form I thought 'this is outrageous,' but then five seconds later I realized it doesn't really matter.
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post #3 of 11
9/19/08 at 11:20pm
I don't know about that, have to contemplate. On the one hand, it wouldn't matter to me, but I'm not a church-goer. I can't imagine people with impassioned religious feelings don't have their minds made up already. I don't really know about that, but you should file a complaint with your county board of elections if it really bothers you.
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post #4 of 11
9/19/08 at 11:23pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by James Kimbell View Post
... but then five seconds later I realized it doesn't really matter.
See for somewhere like the States where voter fraud has been more prevalent in recent years, I'd say it could matter. I'm not saying it wouldn't happen in Canada (I'm sure it does) but if you have a Christian candidate and a Catholic candidate and more people are voting in Christian churches... the chance is there that they could sway the votes by miscounting them in favour of the Christian candidate.

I guess it could happen at school gymnasiums (and when I say using school for polling stations, I mean public school NOT private or religious schools) but it just seems like it wouldn't as big of an issue with schools since there's no benefit really for anyone.
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post #5 of 11
9/19/08 at 11:27pm
I don't know if the votes are counted there, and if so, I'm sure they're not counted by church employees. Fraud could happen, of course, but I don't think it's more likely when the votes are placed in a church.
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post #6 of 11
9/19/08 at 11:30pm
Thread Starter 
I suppose yeah and I guess there would be Elections Canada officials/volunteers there. It just sorta struck me as weird when I saw where I had to vote. I never saw a problem with using the other places.
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post #7 of 11
9/19/08 at 11:33pm
You could volunteer to be a poll watcher -- that way, you and a team of other poll watchers could keep tabs on the votes from the time they're cast until they're counted.
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post #8 of 11
9/20/08 at 12:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brendan View Post
Nothing against Dutchies but I just don't like the fact that I have to vote at a Dutch church when there's a Dutch candidate in the riding. I'd feel the same way if there was a Christian candidate and i had to vote at a Christian Church.

...

...but if you have a Christian candidate and a Catholic candidate and more people are voting in Christian churches...
I didn't realize the Dutch were pagans? Or the Catholics for that matter.
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post #9 of 11
9/21/08 at 9:17am
When I voted in 2006 my voting machine was facing a 40 foot tall crucifix. With spotlights.
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post #10 of 11
9/21/08 at 8:51pm
I don't really see it as an issue as long as the church's Deacons and Ushers aren't actually counting the votes.
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post #11 of 11
9/21/08 at 8:58pm
Talk about mountains out of mole hills.
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