Hi,
I wanted to respond to Caroline Palmer's comments on an Elliot Park polling
place that was supposedly at North Central University (formerly North
Central Bible College - Caroline's e-mail said "Bethel Bible College" at
Chicago and 14th, this is NCU, so I'm assuming she just got the name wrong).
I live in the Elliot Park neighborhood. The two polling places for Elliot
are Augustana Nursing Home and the Park Avenue Senior Community Center. I
confirmed with the City Elections office that the Senior Center polling
place did not switch to the bible college this year, and I know that the
Augustana location didn't switch because I voted there at 8:00 a.m.
Where her friend saw a "room full of scripture-reading students" at either
location is beyond me. The election judges at my polling location were
running a tight ship, no one had political buttons on, no one was quoting
scripture, etc. Being in the nursing home, it is true that many many of the
hundreds of senior residents vote there and often need assistance casting
their ballots. Sometimes they are hard of hearing and their helper is
speaking loudly to read the ballot to them or to confirm how they want to
vote. Yes, sometimes it's loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.
Having voted there for seven years, I've come to expect it and am grateful
that our system of voting values the votes of even our most elderly or
infirm citizens.
Between the senior population and the students of the bible college, my
precinct (7-10) is consistently among the most Republican in the entire
city. Often I chuckle knowing that I might be the only one in the room
voting Democrat or Independent (Gore/Gibson this year). Again, I am grateful
that EVERYONE has the freedom to vote the way they want. Caroline's friend
needs to chill out and not over react, and especially stop telling folks
that he was sent to vote at the bible college (not true). If indeed he
overheard a student in line telling somebody else he wasn't voting for
Democrats because they vote for Jews, that's really unfortunate. NCU is
affiliated with the Assemblies of God and, yes, it's very conservative. On
the otherhand, a private comment between two people is none of Caroline's
friend's business. If somebody helping a senior vote was wearing a political
button, again that's too bad, I agree that the polling places should be
completely neutral. I also know how hard election judges work and if they
missed somebody wearing a button who is there to help an elderly person have
a voice in democracy, then I guess I wouldn't get all bent out of shape over
it.
Thanks for letting me clarify the polling place situation in Elliot Park.
Douglas Gardner, Council Assistant
Office of Seventh Ward Council Member Lisa Goodman
-----Original Message-----
From: Caroline Palmer
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, November 08, 2000 8:45 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Church and State?
Hey,
In light of all the questionable results coming in from
Florida, I think we
may want to look into some odd polling places right here in
Minneapolis. A
friend who lives in Elliot Park was sent to vote at the
Bethel Bible College
at 14th and Chicago. Does this strike anyone else as awfully
strange? He
said the room full of scripture-reading students (one quoted
as saying "I'm
voting Republican because Democrats vote for Jews") was
intimidating, and it
was unclear who exactly was helping some of the seniors from
the Augustana
home next door in filling out their ballots, but whoever it
was, election
judge or volunteer, was wearing Bush/Cheney buttons
(whatever happened to
'no electioneering beyond this point?'). I find it very hard
to believe that
there aren't any neutral community center type sites in this
neighborhood
since I work nearby at MAP and see the options; hell,
Augustana would make
more sense. I'm telling this friend to complain to the
Secretary of State's
office; anyone else have ideas?
Thanks,
Caroline Palmer
Kingfield
