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By Lauris Olson
AmesNewsOnline
Commentary
(Sept. 28, 2010 – Noon) The congregants of two large evangelical churches in Ames will get to vote just minutes before or after attending Sunday worship services this October. Or even during the service, if so inclined.
Cornerstone Church, 56829 U.S. Highway 30, and Stonebrook Church, 3611 Eisenhower Ave., are two of five religious facilities that will host satellite voting stations for the Story County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections office this election cycle.
AmesNewsOnline
Commentary
(Sept. 28, 2010 – Noon) The congregants of two large evangelical churches in Ames will get to vote just minutes before or after attending Sunday worship services this October. Or even during the service, if so inclined.
Cornerstone Church, 56829 U.S. Highway 30, and Stonebrook Church, 3611 Eisenhower Ave., are two of five religious facilities that will host satellite voting stations for the Story County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections office this election cycle.
Satellite Voting during worship doesn't serve the entire community
Even ISU’s Memorial Union isn’t a perfect location.
“I had wanted to be there three consecutive days,” she said. “But one of the days, they had 600 extra students booked into activities there. So we settled for two.”
I am a strong believer in a wide separation of church and state. I’d prefer a voting system where religious houses were not used at all, even on election days.
But we need more people taking an interest in government and voting. Expanding poll times and locations can encourage involvement. We need to offer comfortable, convenient and accommodating venues for those who wish to vote in person.
I can understand that a religious house during non-service hours offers such an environment for many people. I’m just having trouble imagining that most non-congregants would feel at ease voting while religious services are occurring or immediately before or after worship.
Both Cornerstone and Stonebrook have enough members to host two services on Sundays. Both have office staff that work during the week and both have several regular activities scheduled afternoons, nights and weekends. They could have hosted at other times, but wanted Sunday mornings. The goal, an employee at Cornerstone told me, was to serve the community.
Will satellite voting during worship hours meet that goal?
I don’t believe so – not unless you’re a member of Cornerstone or Stonebrook church. The rest of us will better benefit from one of the other nine satellite voting locations. Let's hope that Sunday morning voting doesn't catch on in Story County.
“I had wanted to be there three consecutive days,” she said. “But one of the days, they had 600 extra students booked into activities there. So we settled for two.”
I am a strong believer in a wide separation of church and state. I’d prefer a voting system where religious houses were not used at all, even on election days.
But we need more people taking an interest in government and voting. Expanding poll times and locations can encourage involvement. We need to offer comfortable, convenient and accommodating venues for those who wish to vote in person.
I can understand that a religious house during non-service hours offers such an environment for many people. I’m just having trouble imagining that most non-congregants would feel at ease voting while religious services are occurring or immediately before or after worship.
Both Cornerstone and Stonebrook have enough members to host two services on Sundays. Both have office staff that work during the week and both have several regular activities scheduled afternoons, nights and weekends. They could have hosted at other times, but wanted Sunday mornings. The goal, an employee at Cornerstone told me, was to serve the community.
Will satellite voting during worship hours meet that goal?
I don’t believe so – not unless you’re a member of Cornerstone or Stonebrook church. The rest of us will better benefit from one of the other nine satellite voting locations. Let's hope that Sunday morning voting doesn't catch on in Story County.
“The times came from discussions between me and the church,” she said. “I try hard to comply with the petition requests. But that means some negotiation. For example, they don’t necessarily have staff on for six consecutive hours during the other days of the week. We had a little negotiation with Saint Cecelia Church, another church the Republicans petitioned, because there was going to be a snag with set up or tear down.”
Mosiman said she also discussed issues like parking and common areas with representatives from Cornerstone and Stonebrook.
“We are in general social areas, not the sanctuaries,” she said. “We will be conducting business for the entire six hours; it’s not like we will pause during the service. We will have special places designated for parking for the voters.”
Mosiman said she is not a member of either church. She is a Republican. She said she treats all petitions as alike as possible.
Both major parties petition for satellite voting sites, including churches. In 2008, local Obama campaign workers petitioned for 11 satellite locations, but not all of them qualified.
“I remember one couldn’t provide handicapped accessibility,” Mosiman told me. “They wanted Ames High School, but since all visitors have to check into the office during school hours, that didn’t work out. We had another site with a wall of windows and we weren’t allowed to put paper over them. The way the room was set up, we couldn’t guarantee privacy for the voters and secure the ballots without blocking the windows.”
Mosiman said she also discussed issues like parking and common areas with representatives from Cornerstone and Stonebrook.
“We are in general social areas, not the sanctuaries,” she said. “We will be conducting business for the entire six hours; it’s not like we will pause during the service. We will have special places designated for parking for the voters.”
Mosiman said she is not a member of either church. She is a Republican. She said she treats all petitions as alike as possible.
Both major parties petition for satellite voting sites, including churches. In 2008, local Obama campaign workers petitioned for 11 satellite locations, but not all of them qualified.
“I remember one couldn’t provide handicapped accessibility,” Mosiman told me. “They wanted Ames High School, but since all visitors have to check into the office during school hours, that didn’t work out. We had another site with a wall of windows and we weren’t allowed to put paper over them. The way the room was set up, we couldn’t guarantee privacy for the voters and secure the ballots without blocking the windows.”
Cornerstone Church will host satellite voting from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct 24. Stonebrook Church will host a satellite station over the same period on Sunday, Oct. 30.
The hours of operation are causing alarm among some people who support a wide separation between the government and religion. Satellite voting stations are staffed by election officials paid by the county. Those opposed to the Sunday morning arrangements question whether it is proper to use tax dollars so a particular segment of the population – in this case, evangelical Christians who often have strong ties to conservative candidates – has easier access to the polls.
Using churches as polling places is not new, points out Story County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Mary Mosiman. Satellite voting on a Sunday also is not new. However the two, combined with hours of operation that overlap with worship services, is definitely new.
Under Iowa law, the county’s commissioner of elections can choose some satellite voting locations on his or her own initiative. Mosiman has chosen the ISU Memorial Union, the Ames Public Library, the Hy-Vee Lincoln Center and Hy-Vee West as satellite stations. She has used them before.
But the commissioner is also obligated to approve petitions from residents in the county requesting specific locations as long the sites meet a narrow set of requirements such as handicap accessibility, a minimum of six hours of availability and ability to offer privacy for the voters and security for the ballots.
The hours of operation are causing alarm among some people who support a wide separation between the government and religion. Satellite voting stations are staffed by election officials paid by the county. Those opposed to the Sunday morning arrangements question whether it is proper to use tax dollars so a particular segment of the population – in this case, evangelical Christians who often have strong ties to conservative candidates – has easier access to the polls.
Using churches as polling places is not new, points out Story County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Mary Mosiman. Satellite voting on a Sunday also is not new. However the two, combined with hours of operation that overlap with worship services, is definitely new.
Under Iowa law, the county’s commissioner of elections can choose some satellite voting locations on his or her own initiative. Mosiman has chosen the ISU Memorial Union, the Ames Public Library, the Hy-Vee Lincoln Center and Hy-Vee West as satellite stations. She has used them before.
But the commissioner is also obligated to approve petitions from residents in the county requesting specific locations as long the sites meet a narrow set of requirements such as handicap accessibility, a minimum of six hours of availability and ability to offer privacy for the voters and security for the ballots.
“When I get petitioned to see if they are allowed into the satellite voting pool, I call them,” she said in a telephone follow-up interview to “Satellite voting 2010 will omit mall, include more churches,” an article AmesNewsOnline published on Sept. 20.
“ I determine if they meet the requirements like accessibility and security. If they do, then the rest is up to mutual agreement between the site and my office.”
Story County Republicans petitioned the auditor’s office for the five religious locations, but the hours of service were set after Mosiman spoke to representatives from each site
“ I determine if they meet the requirements like accessibility and security. If they do, then the rest is up to mutual agreement between the site and my office.”
Story County Republicans petitioned the auditor’s office for the five religious locations, but the hours of service were set after Mosiman spoke to representatives from each site
