Elkhart County's Christian Sponsored Election Day
The 2018 general election took place on Tuesday, November 6. This story will give you a glimpse into what it’s like voting in Elkhart County in Northern Indiana. A county with a population of around 200,000.
We have talked a lot about how best to present this information. Our initial intention was to gather evidence of violations to take to our county’s Election Board, but the violations were far worse than we anticipated, so we decided to make the information public. The 2020 presidential election takes place on November 3. While everyone is pushing for mail-in ballots, we thought it was important to add an additional reason to move to mail-in. In this article, we’ll highlight a few of the more egregious violations we saw and give you our notes and photos below the story.
Before we can even start to talk about polling locations, we have to talk about our process of being able to access the polls for this story. NIA President Troy Moss contacted Christopher Anderson, Elkhart County Clerk to ask if we could appoint poll watchers on election day in Elkhart County. The answer was no. Moss then asked if we could take pictures inside polling locations to gather evidence of violations to take to the Election Board, and the answer was again no. Moss explained that studies have shown polling locations affect the outcome of issues like LGBTQ rights, women’s reproductive rights, immigration, the environment, and school vouchers, all issues that NIA takes strong positions on. Moss said, “Churches have every right to have positions on these issues, but the moment they do, they no longer become impartial locations to hold our elections.” Moss also explained that only a few secular locations are available to the people in Elkhart County, and not all of those are accessible by public transportation.
Anderson said any concerns about polling locations should be taken to the Election Board, and any legal recourse would need to be done by our council. Troy told Anderson that NIA has received reports of Bibles left out on tables, Christian music playing, church members trying to recruit voters waiting in line, and religious information throughout the 50 foot chutes that lead up to the polling rooms [all of which you’ll find in our photos below this story]. Anderson’s response was, “There is none of that at the poll books, at the tables, or at the equipment the voters use. There can be no material other than election materials at poll books, and no material other than what is carried in by the voter at election machines. Inside the fifty-foot chute we do our best to make sure nothing is there.” When asked about church members having access to voters, Anderson said, “Church members cannot be inside the fifty-foot chute.” So we were stuck on figuring out how to show the Election Board evidence of these types of violations that we know Elkhart County voters are presented with in church polling locations without having access to church polling locations to gather that evidence.
Anderson later called Moss about NIA having access to church polling locations and said bluntly, “It doesn’t happen on election day.” Christopher asked, “Have you voted?” To which Moss answered that he hadn’t voted yet. “You can stand in line at one place and cast your ballot. Going from place to place … if we get reports of that, we will handle it as that. I will take it to the Election Board and I will take it to the Indiana Election Division. You are not allowed to take pictures inside the fifty-foot chute or inside the voting area,” Christopher threatened.
Northern Indiana Atheists is an affiliate of American Atheists, and Moss is the American Atheists director in Indiana. Moss called American Atheists for advice on how to deal with this problem. The Editor of American Atheist Magazine said she would request Poll Watcher credentials on behalf of NIA so we could write this story. At that point, Anderson was forced to give us credentials, which gave NIA full access to all polling locations in Elkhart County on election day.
In past elections, the County Clerk sent out postcards with polling locations. Over the years, more and more of those locations have been churches. In 2018, 18 out of 27 of our polling locations were Christian churches.
NIA sees this as a problem. Can the type of polling place in which people vote (e.g., church, school, or firehouse) influence how they cast their ballot? Results of two studies suggest it can. A field study using Arizona’s 2000 general election found that voters were more likely to support raising the state sales tax to support education if they voted in schools as opposed to other types of polling locations. This effect persisted even when controlling for voters’ political views, demographics, and unobservable characteristics of those individuals living near schools. Another voting experiment extended these findings to other initiatives (i.e., stem cells). People were randomly assigned to different environmental primes (i.e., church-related, school-related, or generic building images). The studies found that even in noisy, real-world environments, subtle environmental cues can influence decisions on issues of real consequence.
Now we’ll cover the more egregious violations as we saw them. Elkhart County polls were open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., which meant we had 12 hours to drive around and document what voters were presented with as they entered the exclusively Christian church polling locations.
New Paris Missionary Church
67621 SR 15 | NEW PARIS, IN 46553
As we pulled up to the church, their sign read “FALL FOR JESUS HE NEVER LEAVES” on one side and “YOU CAN DEFEAT THE ENEMY” on the other. As we entered the church, and well inside the chute, we saw a devotional for men in a bread basket next to their Voter Training book. Voters were lined up inside the sanctuary for nearly an hour with a giant cross and Christian iconography all around them. The official Photo ID Check-in Station and Candidate Book was on a table with a giant banner for their Women’s Ministries.
First Baptist Church
53953 CR 17 | Bristol, IN 46507
As we approached the voting location, we had to drive under a giant cross in the middle of their entrance. On the path up to the entry doors and inside the chute, they were playing Christian music. We stopped and listened to a rendition of Amazing Grace playing while we watched voters come and go. The church also had their program info at voter check-in.
Grace Community Church
20076 CR 36 | GOSHEN,IN 46526
As we entered this polling location, we noticed the line that was wrapped around the entryway was right in front of a long line of blue tables that had church program information and flyers left out for voters to take. There were also large religious signs throughout the chute and voting room.
Granger Community Church, Elkhart Campus
2701 E. Bristol St | ELKHART, IN 46514
As we entered the church and walked the chute, we saw posters with Bible verses on them and a large painting of a bloody Jesus. As we made our way down the line of voters standing in line, we entered the coffee bar and bookstore that were open and selling items. In the coffee bar, voters watched video monitors that gave information on church programs and messages from the church. As we watched the monitors, the pastor introduced himself to us, welcomed us to the church, and gave us information about himself and the church.
Maple City Chapel
2015 Lincolnway E | GOSHEN, IN 46526
As we walked into the church, it was obvious that elections weren’t the only thing happening that day. The room where voters were casting their ballots was filled with people sitting at tables and milling around within full view of voting machine screens. The entire church was filled with the smell of coffee. We made our way through the tables and people to the coffee bar on the other side of the room and asked if the coffee was there for voters, too. Staff at the coffee bar confirmed that the coffee was for voters and then gave us information on the conference that was going on and let us know the bookstore was open. We finished talking to staff and interviewed a voter who said he smelled the coffee and made his way through the conference to purchase a cup.
While the polling location was open, the church was also hosting the 9th Annual “Caring for the Heart” Conference, which promised, “You will be refreshed in worship and fellowship among other believers.” Both were in the exact same room, with nothing dividing one from the other. The conference had tables full of books, tapes, other goods, and services for sale that voters had to walk through to get to the coffee bar. Even the bathrooms open to voters had religious messages in them.
River of Life Community Church
2626 Prairie St | ELKHART, IN 46517
The church had a large Ten Commandments monument hanging on the wall just inside the entrance. The person checking IDs asked us why we were there, and we showed him our Poll Watcher badges. He saw that it said “American Atheists Poll Watcher” and immediately got an attitude with us. We entered the chute where voters were waiting in line. The room was filled with religious signage. As we walked around and gathered pictures, one of the ministers walked up and introduced himself and told us a little about the church. When we were done speaking with the minister, I continued to gather photos of the chute. Entering the voting room, there was a giant banner high on the wall with a Bible verse.
For the rest of the story, I’m going to post the NIA incident report. Long story short, we were accosted by the polling location sheriff and by a voter.
Sugar Grove Church
58512 Old CR 17 | GOSHEN, IN 46528
Crosses everywhere, including the bathroom
Church information inside the voting room
Jesus coffee inside the voting room
The photos and notes below cover everything else we saw as we walked the chute at other exclusively Christian churches where voters were waiting to cast their ballots. They aren’t as egregious, but they show the promotion of Christianity to voters that are presented at even the least offensive of polling locations.
Bible Baptist Church
205 E Waterford St | Wakarusa, IN 46573
Promoting church social media on sign
Bible devotionals throughout the chute
Scripture on the wall in chute
Bristol United Methodist Church
201 S Division St | Bristol
Promoting church on sign
Bible devotionals sitting out in chute
Scripture verse art on the wall next to Voter’s Rights Poster in chute
Large cross quilt high on the wall in the voting room
Calvary United Methodist Church
2222 W Indiana Ave | ELKHART, IN 46516
Religious signage with voting instructions inside the chute
Bible devotionals sitting out in chute
Church event schedule inside chute
Faith Lutheran Church
202 S Greene Rd | GOSHEN, IN 46526
Religious art inside the chute
Church services information at voting check-in
Large nativity art in the voting room
First Brethren Church
1600 N Main St | NAPPANEE, IN 46550
Bibles, bracelets, devotionals, and information out in chute for voters to take
Voters had to wait in the sanctuary
Scriptures on walls throughout the chute
Lots of bulletin boards, signage, and church information
New Hope United Methodist Church
28765 County Road 4 | ELKHART, IN 46514
Religious signage and artwork all along the voting line
Religious artwork throughout the chute
Ten Commandments stone tablet display visible to voters
Voters waiting in sanctuary to vote
Pleasant View Church
58529 CR 23 | GOSHEN, IN 46528
Bible verse on church sign
Church information signs next to voter instructions inside the chute
St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church
122 Dr Martin Luther King Dr | ELKHART, IN 46516
A person stationed at the door asked for donations as we walked in
Religious signage throughout the chute
Tree of crosses
The Salvation Army
1013 N Main St | GOSHEN,IN 46528
Giant red kettle outside voting location
Church information throughout the chute
Trinity United Methodist Church
2715 E Jackson St | ELKHART, IN 46516
Lots of religious signs, bibles, and iconography throughout line and chute
Church activities advertised on television screen
Café open with representatives telling people about the church
Sign asking for prayers for elections
The main argument we’ve heard against moving polling locations out of churches is this: “If you don’t want to vote at a church, just absentee vote or vote early.” Absentee voting is conducted by mail-in ballot before Election Day, and citizens shouldn't have to vote early just to avoid voting at churches. Our government shouldn't compel us to enter a house of worship for any reason. We have plenty of government buildings we could be using to conduct government business. NIA firmly believes that religious affiliation or aversion to voting in a church should not disqualify citizens from participating in a fundamental right like voting on Election Day.
But this is not a normal election year, and the voting process looks very different during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, we are encouraging our members to engage in the election process in the way that is safest for them and their families. Unlike a normal election year, where many of us don’t consider our plan to vote until the week or days before election day, plans need to be made well in advance this year. The deadline to register to vote is October 6, and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 22. This process can be completed by printing and mailing a form or by using the online Voter Portal. All ballots must be received by noon on November 3 and can be mailed or dropped off at the Elkhart County Courthouse in Room 204. It is also possible to cast an absentee ballot in person from October 6 until November 2 at a few select locations that will be posted by the Elkhart County Election Board.
Northern Indiana Atheists is a nonprofit established to fight state/church violations on a local level and defend the rights of atheists and other marginalized communities across Northern Indiana.
Membership is open to atheists and our allies who share our vision for a government that represents all citizens equally and our passion for serving our community. Your membership and donations amplify our voice and makes our impact even stronger. Become a member today at NorthernIndianaAtheists.com.