My wife and I voted yesterday in this ruby-red small town near Jefferson City. We were taken back by the anti-abortion banners hanging throughout the gym. We were told by the local election board that it’s not electioneering because “abortion isn’t on the ballot.”
Umm…. abortion is always on the ballot. It is a hot button issue. How would voters in this deeply conservative area feel if they showed up to a school to vote, only to see a half dozen pro-choice banners displayed? That’s right.
Obviously, complaints were filed. As reported by a local news agency:
One polling location in Callaway County caused complaints from voters about potential electioneering for the 2018 Midterm Election.
In the gymnasium of St. Andrews Church in Holts Summit, Missouri, where voters marked their ballots, the walls displayed anti-abortion signage.
Missouri law prohibits electioneering inside or within 25 feet of a polling location. However, the law only applies if the sign is promoting a candidate or issue on the ballot.
There are no abortion rights issues currently on the ballot in Holts Summit.
“We have spoken to the Secretary of State’s office,” Callaway County Clerk Denise Hubbard said. “They’ve confirmed our belief that it is not electioneering, because it is not on the ballot.”
A representative from St. Andrews Church declined to comment on the signs.
This story started as a tip from ProPublica's Electionland project, which monitors voting problems around the country. If you had trouble voting, or if you saw something you want to tell us about, here’s how.
If we must vote in churches, then election officials cannot permit this kind of thing. They just can’t.