Well played school, well played...

[Dmmetler]

The neighborhood elementary school is a polling site, and I just walked over to vote. As usual, there are the masses of political signs just outside of the boundary, but I could see red signs within it as I walked up. As I got closer, I noticed that they all read "Tonight is our fundraiser at Stevi B's" (pizza). Well played school, well played. I think we just might order a pizza for dinner tonight...

[Arcadia]

Our polling site is the neighborhood library so librarians would be trying to convince voters to get a library card if they don't have one already.

 

Krispy Kreme is offering a free donut for voting at some stores.

 

ETA:

The donut shop is not the polling site. The participating stores are just giving a free donut each to people who have voted.

Edited November 8, 2016 by Arcadia

[Tanaqui]

Voting at a doughnut shop? I'm there!

 

Here polling places are mostly only ever schools, so NYC schools are closed today. Not for my girls, though - they goofed off all of last week.

[vonfirmath]

The neighborhood elementary school is a polling site, and I just walked over to vote. As usual, there are the masses of political signs just outside of the boundary, but I could see red signs within it as I walked up. As I got closer, I noticed that they all read "Tonight is our fundraiser at Stevi B's" (pizza). Well played school, well played. I think we just might order a pizza for dinner tonight...

 

:) We have a PTO meeting tonight.

 

[theelfqueen]

Voting apparently makes me hungry ... pizza and donuts!!

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Carol in Cal.]

That is brilliant.  Best advertising EVER.

[luuknam]

Voting at a doughnut shop? I'm there!

 

I assume they meant if you have the sticker. Which means I'm feeling totally disenfranchised, what with not being able to vote, er, get a free doughnut (though I don't think we have a Krispy Kreme anywhere near here).

Edited November 8, 2016 by luuknam

[rebcoola]

You guys are making me wish we still had in person voting.  Its mail or drop box here no hassle true but no sense of occasion either.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Once went voting and they had a bake sale. 

 

I dunno..that's a bit much. 

[Spy Car]

Our polling place was at a Women's Club :D

 

Bill

[Beaniemom]

My girls are selling Girl Scout cookies with their troop at a poling place today.

[Seasider]

Our polling place was at a Women's Club :D

 

Bill

As in, the opposite of a "gentlemens" club?

[Bluegoat]

I once voted at what had been an Orange Lodge - it was defunct but it was still all full of their stuff.

 

.  It was really weird.

[Spy Car]

As in, the opposite of a "gentlemens" club?

 

LOL. Not at all. 

 

It's a city-owned community meeting place where "ladies organizations" traditionally met to improve society.

 

Bill

[redsquirrel]

Once went voting and they had a bake sale. 

 

I dunno..that's a bit much. 

 

I have always seen bake sales at schools that are polling places. Every place I have ever lived has had them.  I've always thought of them as an election day tradition....that I like very much, lol.

[TravelingChris]

Our polling place is a church, not our own.  My own church is a polling place too.  While driving around town today, it seems like most of our voting places are churches.  They don't do them in schools over here.

[QueenCat]

The school here is having a poinsettia fundraiser for the voters to participate in, should they choose to do so........

[LifeLovePassion]

Brilliant!

[raptor_dad]

Krispy Kreme is offering a free donut for voting at some stores.

 

ETA:

The donut shop is not the polling site. The participating stores are just giving a free donut each to people who have voted.

 

When I was a kid, our local McDonalds' had a deal that anyone who brought in a yard sign got a free soft serve cone... great way to clean up all those abandoned signs and con mom and dad into eating fast food for dinner.

[EmilyGF]

Man, I wish my polling place was advertising a pizza fund raiser... then I might know what to serve my family tonight.

[Tanaqui]

Our polling place is a church, not our own.  My own church is a polling place too.  While driving around town today, it seems like most of our voting places are churches.  They don't do them in schools over here.

 

And that is so bizarre to me, having a polling place in a church. I mean, I suppose if you have a lot of churches and only one school and that school isn't very big it makes sense, but....

[Rosie_0801]

Once went voting and they had a bake sale. 

 

I dunno..that's a bit much. 

 

Oh ye faint of heart!

 

 

Voting is just not done "proper" without a cake stall and a sausage sizzle.

[Farrar]

They moved ours at the last minute - like, last night they announced the change. Not too big a deal - big sign on the door with directions and it's only a couple more blocks for us. Some kids we knew did a fundraiser at one of the primaries - bake sale. I was thinking, oh, that would have been smart for someone this time too. The poll workers all had Dunkin Donuts, but the line was long for around here (presumably because they stuck two polling places together).

[Zuzu822]

Once went voting and they had a bake sale. 

 

I dunno..that's a bit much. 

 

The local MOMS Club had a bake sale set up when I went to vote...at 7:45 am!  :laugh:

[Hen]

our neighborhood voting is always at our neighborhood elementary school, and they always have a bake sale for the school, set up in the walkway entrance to the voting building. Pretty smart. 

 

I think I have to stop at krispy kreme now....

[TravelingChris]

I voted in a church in two different states, one a blue state and one a red state.  By voting in a church, I mean a church building.  Never a sanctuary.  In the blue state, we voted in a fellowship hall.  In the red state, we vote in a large classroom.  I checked for my county and the vast majority of places are in churches.  A few are in such places as fire stations, senior or community centers, city halls, and even two parks.  I think they don't have it at the school because they would have to give the school kids a holiday then and they don't want to give a Tuesday holiday and then another one on Friday.  THere just aren't spare rooms for voting.  I don't remember what we did when I was a child.  I know we had a multipurpose room in our school that functioned as a cafeteria, gym and theater.  That was where my parents voted but I don't remember what we did about eating and gym.

[QueenCat]

And that is so bizarre to me, having a polling place in a church. I mean, I suppose if you have a lot of churches and only one school and that school isn't very big it makes sense, but....

 

It was common where we used to live. They used both churches and schools.

[Bluegoat]

And that is so bizarre to me, having a polling place in a church. I mean, I suppose if you have a lot of churches and only one school and that school isn't very big it makes sense, but....

 

But aren't schools busy on week days?  Whereas a lot of churches will have empty but good sized spaces at that time.

[Cinder]

But aren't schools busy on week days?  Whereas a lot of churches will have empty but good sized spaces at that time.

 

No school on election day, though teachers still have to work.

[Murphy101]

And that is so bizarre to me, having a polling place in a church. I mean, I suppose if you have a lot of churches and only one school and that school isn't very big it makes sense, but....

More churches than either gas stations or schools here, so most of the polling places are in churches. Or to be more accurate, the church's meeting rooms/lobby type areas. It's not like the ballot box is located next to the tabernacle.

[elegantlion]

My voting place is in a church. I think most are in our city as the schools are in session and churches are not. 

[dirty ethel rackham]

Our polling place is a church, not our own.  My own church is a polling place too.  While driving around town today, it seems like most of our voting places are churches.  They don't do them in schools over here.

Schools stopped being polling places after Columbine.  They want to control who is in the school when kids are in the building (and they don't get the day off.)  We voted at a church ... in their gym.  I think most of the polling places in our town are church buildings, but I they also used the VFW and a few other community centers.

 

When I was a kid, our local McDonalds' had a deal that anyone who brought in a yard sign got a free soft serve cone... great way to clean up all those abandoned signs and con mom and dad into eating fast food for dinner.

Brilliant.  I hate seeing those signs for weeks. 

Edited November 8, 2016 by dirty ethel rackham

[Tanaqui]

But aren't schools busy on week days?  Whereas a lot of churches will have empty but good sized spaces at that time.

 

Schools stopped being polling places after Columbine.

 

They close schools for Election Day here, and they've done so since at least the early 80s, when I was a child. So we still have schools as our primary polling places (Trump voted in one today) in NYC, and the fact that we don't hold school on Election Day has nothing to do with Columbine. (And even if it did, that doesn't make sense. The Columbine shooters were students at that school.)

 

It's not like the ballot box is located next to the tabernacle.

 

I guess that makes sense. It still seems strange to me. But then, I feel weird that our current polling place isn't a school! (It's a community center.) It just feels to me like schools are the place to vote. I remember being a kid and our class taking a "trip" to see the polling booths in our gym the day before Election Day.

 

It used to be the case that Election Day was a public holiday. I don't know why we don't still do that in the US.

Edited November 9, 2016 by Tanaqui

[PrincessMommy]

I have always seen bake sales at schools that are polling places. Every place I have ever lived has had them.  I've always thought of them as an election day tradition....that I like very much, lol.

 

me too.  It seems ubiquitous.    I'm fine with it. 

[AndyJoy]

My town used mostly churches even before Columbine. They're more likely to have the space on a Tuesday without a holiday.

 

My church also housed a small school when I was a teen, and I have fond memories of voting days. My family would fill several crockpot with soup/stew and bake bread for the (mostly senior citizen) poll workers. They were very appreciative.

 

This year I voted in a college classroom just a mile and a half from my house.

[cjzimmer1]

 

I guess that makes sense. It still seems strange to me. But then, I feel weird that our current polling place isn't a school! (It's a community center.) It just feels to me like schools are the place to vote. I remember being a kid and our class taking a "trip" to see the polling booths in our gym the day before Election Day.

 

It used to be the case that Election Day was a public holiday. I don't know why we don't still do that in the US.

 

See to me it would feel weird voting in a school or church.  I can't imagine a school district canceling school just so the building was available for voting. And I never heard of using a church before either. Around here places I've voted and watched my parents vote at: library, fire station, police station, grocery store, VFW, city municipal building and county municipal buildings. But I suppose jurisdictions will use whatever building is readily available to them.

[luuknam]

See to me it would feel weird voting in a school or church.  I can't imagine a school district canceling school just so the building was available for voting. And I never heard of using a church before either. Around here places I've voted and watched my parents vote at: library, fire station, police station, grocery store, VFW, city municipal building and county municipal buildings. But I suppose jurisdictions will use whatever building is readily available to them.

 

Okay, but how many people would be upset if they were asked to vote in, say, a mosque? Voting in a church is weird to me, even if it's not in the actual worship part of the church.

[cjzimmer1]

Okay, but how many people would be upset if they were asked to vote in, say, a mosque? Voting in a church is weird to me, even if it's not in the actual worship part of the church.

 

I agree even though I"m a regular church attendee, it seems weird to me to make that a voting place.  I don't know it just doesn't feel very neutral to me. I probably wouldn't like a mosque either but as a one time thing I might still go just because I've never been in one and would be curious.  However it's kinda of moot for me because I do all my voting early now and those are held at the city building not the normal voting places.

[Seasider]

LOL. Not at all.

 

It's a city-owned community meeting place where "ladies organizations" traditionally met to improve society.

 

Bill

Whew! You had me wondering there!

[theelfqueen]

My regular polling place is a hazardous waste drop off facility lol Nearby there are two churches, a library, a college and two County clerks offices.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[dirty ethel rackham]

I agree even though I"m a regular church attendee, it seems weird to me to make that a voting place.  I don't know it just doesn't feel very neutral to me. I probably wouldn't like a mosque either but as a one time thing I might still go just because I've never been in one and would be curious.  However it's kinda of moot for me because I do all my voting early now and those are held at the city building not the normal voting places.

It is only not neutral if church officials ran the election, which they don't.  They are in their offices or handing out goodies to people.  And not all churches are "red." 

 

And re: my reference to Columbine ... we used to vote in a school.  But it was a private school and they had the independence to decide to have that day off.  That school decided not to have that day off and did not want lots of strangers in the building.  None of the schools have had election day off since I can remember.  After Columbine, I noticed a huge tightening of security at area schools, even though the shooters at Columbine were students.  Schools started doing lockdown drills after that happened.  If they don't have the day off, they don't want that volume of people coming into the buildings.

[Murphy101]

It's more about who will offer their facility for free and has a big enough space to do so and will agree to obey the rules (such as no campaigning within so many feet). That's often churches, libraries, and some schools in my state.

[AndyJoy]

Regarding churches as polling places, I wonder if they are more common in rural areas like where I grew up. In our town of 10,000, we didn't have a community center, gym, or any large building like that. The library was small and wouldn't have had the parking or polling space. It was also directly across from an elementary school and would have caused traffic/parking/safety issues there. The 3 elementary schools all had double-duty gyms/cafeterias and no empty classrooms.

 

Five churches served as our town's polling places. The poll workers were not affiliated with the churches at which they worked.

 

My church's pastor had the philosophy that our building should not stand empty all week, only used on Sundays and Wednesday nights. He thought we should use it to bless the community. Girl Scouts, a quilting group, and Weight-Watchers were some of the groups that used it during the week. My non-denominational Christian school used it for years for incredibly low rent that only covered basics like electricity, Internet, toilet paper, etc. In case of emergency, our church was the evacuation center for the public school around the corner. In my town there was really no more logical place.

Edited November 9, 2016 by AndyJoy

[Guest]

My regular polling place is a hazardous waste drop off facility lol Nearby there are two churches, a library, a college and two County clerks offices.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Haha, you win for weirdest location!

 

Our polling place is at a church, and the other one I can use for early in person is in a seniors center. Sometimes we rent the Lions Club too. My husband has had to set that up a few times and it really just depends on who has openings and adequate space and parking. School stays in session for voting here as far as I know so those are usually out as options.

[Zinnia]

Around here, public schools had teacher work days for election day. Most years, they do not choose to do that, but they do for almost all of the presidential election years.   Schools here do not get Friday off for Veteran's Day, though.  That's not historically been an off-school holiday.

 

Schools and churches are the most common polling places here, but I think some community centers get used, too.  We have a lot of polling places in my county, though.  Two in my neighborhood are 1/2 mile apart.  Walking distance down a flat, easy road with a sidewalk.  

[dirty ethel rackham]

It's not just rural areas that use churches. We live in a large suburb. There aren't enough non-church affiliated buildings that would be suitable (able to handle the amount of people going in and out of the building without an undue strain on their usual business. Our libraries are very busy places and and don't have enough parking. I'm not sure how many polling places we have in our town but I'm guessing there are at least 10.

 

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

[AnnE-girl]

I've voted in churches and a mosque. When I was a kid in Catholic school in the eighties, I remember security concerns when the vestibule of our church was used for the election. The doors that separated the church from the school were locked so voters couldn't come wandering into the school.

[Bluegoat]

I'm in an older suburb and churches are pretty common here, and in the city generally. 

 

I usually am in a community center. 

 

I think there are probably a few reasons churches are common, as others have said - they may have the space, the parking, and often the hall is accessible for those with mobility issues.  And even the community centers here sometimes have a lot of programming during the week, so the rooms may not be free.  And there are in any older areas a lot of churches, so they are within walking distance of many homes.

[Jan in SC]

We used to vote in a community center, but moved to a church for this election. All the public schools here are closed because people vote there.

[vonfirmath]

See to me it would feel weird voting in a school or church.  I can't imagine a school district canceling school just so the building was available for voting. And I never heard of using a church before either. Around here places I've voted and watched my parents vote at: library, fire station, police station, grocery store, VFW, city municipal building and county municipal buildings. But I suppose jurisdictions will use whatever building is readily available to them.

 

Thinking back to Little House on the Prairie -- everything happened in the one building that was church, school, and community building all at once. I'm sure voting happened there too.