Though not likely serious enough to spark an investigation, a number of anomalies plagued yesterday’s Amendment One vote, which saw the passage of a ban on recognizing any union except for heterosexual marriage.
The Courage Campaign reported incidents in liberal towns like Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Carrboro where voters were being given incorrect ballots. The Tar Heel State allows 17-year-olds to vote in statewide primaries for elected officials, provided they turn 18 by November 18. But they can’t vote on amendments and referenda—so special ballots without Amendment One were printed.
According to CC’s Adam Bink:
The reports we are getting are that people OVER 17 are also being handed these ballots WITHOUT Amendment 1 in what would normally be heavily anti-Amendment 1 precincts (Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Raleigh). We are working on testimonials from voters who have experienced this — in the meantime, if you report on Amendment 1, PLEASE ask readers to call 1-866-OUR-VOTE if they experience this in NC, or know someone who did.
And at the Devon Park United Methodist Church in Wilmington, NC (don’t ask us why a church is a polling station), voters were greeted by a sign that read, “A true marriage is male and female and God” before they went inside to pull the lever.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Officials say the sign—on the church’s official nameplate, not a flyer or poster—is legal.
“Clearly their message is standing for a political position or an electoral position,” the UNC Center for Civil Rights’ Elizabeth Haddix told Star News Online. “Whether or not that sign violates that statute, we’re still looking into.”
It’s a bit of a moot point, as the final count showed more people in the precinct voted against Amendment One: Of 773 ballots, 482 people were against the measure and 291 were for it.
Photo: William Clifford
Caleb
Devon Park united Methodist Church should have their 501(c)(3) tax exempt status yanked for engaging in politics.
Starry Eyed
“A true marriage is male and female and God.”
I smell polygamy!
(Sorry, but that joke was too easy not to make.)
B
Re No 1: Pastor Sean Harris, the guy with an hour-long sermon urging his congregation to vote for Measure A, should get the same treatment for his church, Berean Baptist Church. Let’s yank their tax-exempt status too!
It’s something Obama should be in favor of, if only to help reduce the deficit.
Mark
“Don’t ask us why a church is a polling place”
You’re kidding, right? I’ve always had to vote at a Presbyterian Church. And I’m not Presbyterian.
Delius
Our own president didn’t even support the gay community. Without his support it had NO chance of passing. It takes a great man to lead by example, and Obama is not a great man.
He’s no friend to the gay community, not in the slightest.
I want a president who can make unpopular decisions knowing he is on the right side of history, not someone who merely goes along with public opinion.
If Obama had fought for gay marriage in NC he could have easily swayed 8 percent of North Carolinians..enough to have made gay marriage pass.
He is nothing.
Matt
“It’s a bit of a moot point, as the final count showed more people in the precinct voted against Amendment One: Of 773 ballots, 482 people were against the measure and 291 were for it.”
Yes, but without the sign, the vote might have been even better.
Darling Nikki
Despite this controversy, we could solve all of our tax issues if we taxed every single fairy-in-the-sky, pixie dust entity church/temple/mosque/tabernacle/what not.
Imagine how balanced the budget would be then.
Hyhybt
@Mark: When it’s not being used for church purposes, it’s just an available building.
Kenneth Kurtz
It is hard to refrain from name calling, when somebody is so evidently non-informed. To dismiss the President of the United States at nothing, denotes your complete lack of patriotism; you sir are the one who is nothing, well maybe a traitor. It would take me many paragraphs to list all of the things his administration has done for this country, and for the gay community amongst other ethnic groups. His coming out in support of marriage equality as a way of voicing his disappointment over the North Carolina “rigged” election only goes to further prove his commitment to equality for all the citizens of this great country. God Bless the President of the United Sates and his family.
Danny Ray
@Delius: I disagree with you on that! HE FINALLY DID COME OUT FOR GAY MARRIAGE TODAY! I KNOW…A LITTLE LATE…BUT, IT WAS BETTER THAN NOTHING! Plus, President Barack Obama has made some progressed for gay rights more than any other U.S. President in history!!!
Myles MacLean
America is one healthy,viable democracy when the only choice for President is between a reactionary fool and a do-nothing-until-it’s-too-late idiot.Kurtz should realize that Delius speaks the truth.
Democrat or Republican,no difference.Shit is shit.
I won't grow up
Myles you are dead on correct.
By the way there are hundreds if not thousands of polling places in all types of religious institutions all over this country.
This president will say and do anything to get re-elected and you can be certain that he will change his opinion after the election and he will blame someone else for his flip flop.
Hephaestion
All across America, churches frequently serve as polling stations. MY polling station here in the Dupont Circle gayborhood of DC is a church. Fortunately it’s a very pro-gay church.
Macmantoo
@Mark: I agree. Churches have always been polling places in the towns I lived in. Just a side note: here in Reno, they rent out the downtown public library for Church on Sunday mornings. To me, that is weird.
Macmantoo
@Myles MacLean: Then go live in Russia. That should suit you just fine.
Myles MacLean
Macmantoo,
When someone in your family tells you how stupid you are,do you throw them out of the house because it’s your house as well.