February 17, 2004

Voting in a church. So what's it like voting at the First Congregational Church, my polling place, in Madison, Wisconsin? The booths are set up in a charming high-ceilinged library at the end of a long hallway, past a closed door to a chapel. Are there shelves all around, piled with Bibles and other religious books? Why, yes! Oh, but surely they wouldn't leave up a fabric wall hanging, about 4 feet wide and 6 feet high, with 5 inch letters reading:
More light shall break forth from out God's word
No, they wouldn't just leave that up right over where we're voting, would they? Why, yes they would!

And was there a sign outside on the street identifying the church as a polling place? Well, why not just put a cardboard "polling place" insert into the church's regular wooden sign holder? It doesn't matter that there's a lovely cross painted at the top of that sign, does it? How picky can you get!

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