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150 feet
By 02132 on Tue, 11/06/2007 - 6:57pm
"...no other poster, card, handbill, placard, picture or circular intended to influence the action of the voter shall be posted, exhibited, circulated or distributed in the polling place, in the building where the polling place is located, on the walls thereof, on the premises on which the building stands, or within one hundred and fifty feet of the building entrance door to such polling place."
I just came from the Joyce Kilmer School, scratching my civic duty itch for the year. As usual, the above law (MGL Chapter 54, Section 65) was being flouted. I've said something in the past to the offenders, but I didn't bother this year, because they all seemed friendly enough, and no one was too aggressive.
Is this normal at all city polling places? Does everyone gather as close to the door as they can reasonably get without blocking it? Was I wrong to not mention this to the cop at the checkout desk inside? Would he have even done anything?
Oh well. Let it be known that an annoying sign-holder at a voting station is as likely to make me not vote for someone as anonymous attack mailers. (And to the Stephen Murphy supporter, I'd rather a pen than a pencil, but thanks anyway.)
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Comments
One law that goes completely unenforced
Here's what I spotted today:
Conley School, Roslindale: Hand-carders right at the door.
Bates School, Roslindale: Hand-carders right at the door.
West Roxbury library: Hand-carders right at the door.
Holy Name School, West Roxbury: Hand-carders (and Michael Flaherty) right at the door.
The Transcript does report that a cop had to shoo over-eager canvassers away from actual voters at the library, though.
not tolerated in Somerville
That kind of thing is not allowed here. I don't know if the 150 feet is strictly enforced, but at my polling place, sign-holders at least have to stand across the street from the polling place and not directly in front of it. What are 'hand-carders' ?
Hand carders
People giving out hand cards, a.k.a. palm cards.
Conley?
What time were you at the Conley? When I dropped my kids off at 8:15, all the electioneering folks were up on the sidewalk by the inbound 50 bus stop, well over 150 feet from the cafeteria entrance. My actual polling place -- the big orthodox church in Alexander the Great square -- was swamped with electioneers not more than a few feet from the entrance. To be fair, I don't think you could stand 150 feet from that location and still be at that location.
150 Feet
That would put you up at the commuter rail station... and there actually was someone at the commuter rail station, getting out the vote for Connolly.
However, the press of electioneers was pretty tight at the polls at the square. They couldn't get any closer without being inside the polling station. I wouldn't say they were actually blocking the door, but you certainly had to slalom around them to get in.
Did a cop come out?
I was there around 7:40.
Probably
I'm thinking yes. The crossing guard is a retired cop, so he probably took care of it. Alternatively, the principle is pretty gung ho about civics, and it wouldn't surprise me a bit if she threw them off school property.
At Honan-Allston library,
At Honan-Allston library, people handing out cards were definitely closer than 150 feet, but weren't right on top of the door. I'd say more like 20 feet away. People holding big signs were 150 feet away.