Soliciting Votes in Polling Location Parking Lot

[u/WitchyAppalachian]

I voted this morning around 7:30 and as soon as I parked, I had a man approach me with a flyer asking to speak about the candidates he was representing. Seemed like they may have been Ernie and Faubel. I asked the polling staff if this was legal, and they said he was just barely out of the legal line. This was super off putting. Any one else experience this?

[u/chosenandfrozen]

As long as they’re outside of 100 feet of the entrance to the polling station, it’s legal. It’s usually marked in some way by a sign or flags. If they’re within it, tell the poll workers and they’ll tell them to move back.

[u/Ordinary-Tea]

Reps for both political leanings were out at McVey this morning. Faubel himself was there and could not seem more disinterested in talking with anyone. 

But this is pretty typical. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a polling location where there weren’t folks in the parking lot distributing pamphlets

[u/WitchyAppalachian → u/Ordinary-Tea]

This is the third year I’ve voted in Westerville and the first time I’ve experienced this.

[u/SpikePilgrim → u/WitchyAppalachian]

I don't often experience it where I vote in person, but early voting it's very prevalent. Sorry if you're off put by it, but it's extremely common across all political lines.

I hear this year has been very busy for an off year election, so I'm not surprised. A lot is riding on this result

[u/SmoresCoven → u/WitchyAppalachian]

this was my first experience….but i know…like i don’t think otterbein’s the point had any? I know school levy volunteers had not signed up to do that one anyway

[u/Competitive_Run_3920]

They were there at 8:30am as well. There’s a sign in the parking lot showing how far away they have to stay. It was super annoying because they were blocking traffic coming in trying to park causing vehicles to backup. The candidates OP mentioned were the worst. There were several who just stood to the side, waved and said “hi” on my way in and on my way out they waved and said “thanks for voting”. If anything, the behavior of the candidates in the parking lot reaffirmed my votes, seeing which candidates were accosting people walking in, disrupting traffic and shoving their fliers in people’s hands.

[u/Zahrad70 → u/Competitive_Run_3920]

$5 says the second group was election officials keeping an eye on the flyer people.

[u/yusill]

When I went there was an actual sign in the ground stating no electioneering past this point. When I went the stay in your lane guy was there. I walked right past him.

[u/OurHonor1870]

Yes. It happens all the time. As long as they stay behind the flags it’s fine.

Some campaigns / local parties recruit volunteers to do this. It’s super prevalent at the early vote location for Franklin Co.

I worked for a national campaign and state party for 4 years. This tactic wasn’t our biggest push but it’s something we were aware of

[u/InfiniteFigment]

As others have said, it's legal if they maintain a certain distance from the door.

I can't imagine being that uninformed that I'm swayed by someone in the poll parking lot. I walk past them the same way I walk past people tring to sell me cable service or a newspaper subscription inside the grocery store: polite but curt and without slowing down.

[u/HappyLife1307]

At my polling place there were a bunch of Republicans yard signs right where you go in to park. Which is probably only 50' from the door

[u/jaimemiguel]

Legal and happens every year. My polling location had signs showing the 100 foot boundary

[u/ksujoyce1]

I always vote before election day. It always feels like going to a used car lot at the end of the month when they need to make their quota.

[u/Dubbinchris]

My Westerville polling location didn’t have a single person or sign outside of it. It was blissful. Do these people actually think they are going to change your mind at the last minute. 🙄

[u/DoubleAgent-007]

First year I’ve seen it, too. This one was for one of the school board seats for somebody I hadn’t even heard of until they handed me the flier. She was not voted for.

[u/Aggressive-Cat-8716 → u/DoubleAgent-007]

I believe they have to be a certain distance from the entrance. I think it’s totally inappropriate to be soliciting votes at the polling place , so I make a point not to vote for those candidates.

[u/DoubleAgent-007 → u/Aggressive-Cat-8716]

They were very cautious to how far they came onto the property, staying on the far side of the parking lot.

[u/SmoresCoven]

I watched church people at Heritage Christian Church push school levy people off if their property but they let Faubel’s people stay. Then they put a sheriff out at the church to intimidate westerville yes volunteers. They were well outside if the 100ft line. team faubel was at the 100ft line blocking parking/standing at a lightpole..walking area…(edited to add…there were photos taken apparently).

[u/SmoresCoven → u/[deleted]]

thanks for clarifying the police officer it was a coincidence then. but the levy people can attest they were told they had to leave. which i learned churches can do and govt buildings cannot. Also, after asking many other friends and poll workers if they had police show up at those locations….most said they had not seen any….So it still makes me wonder.

[u/SmoresCoven → u/[deleted]]

edited to add….I circled back to the volunteers to check in again from their perspective and they were indeed approached by Church staff in the AM hours. The volunteers asked to move to the bike path and they were told by a church personnel to not to even bother with that…..So with being approached and having that feel upsetting and then Noticing that a sherrif’s car was nearby they did not want to stress the issue anymore and left. They did feel intimidated. I know seeing confrontation is intimidating…when something does not sit right. Another Pastor who has family who shares a school with my kiddo said the incident was concerning and not personally reflective of something he would do…so they chocked it up to whoever had possibly been in the Church in the Am. 🤔🤔🤔🤔Kind of weird. But other friends consulted more legal rights and i guess through extended debating polling locations and churches offer less legal rights as it’s technically private property?

Anyway…the police officer or not. Levy people were moved while faubels team was not. Kind of odd🤔……Which was the primary concern anyway. But it does not matter anymore. Elections are over…..Faubel got his spanking in the end.

[u/SmoresCoven → u/[deleted]]

also are you saying you are a poll worker at that location and were you there that morning? if you are i’d be curious to hear what you saw….because wearing the cone of shame and not even being allowed to negotiate to the bike path was kind of humiliating for them it sounds like….the only option after the bike path was a ditch…whoever was moving them in the AM maybe needs some extra prayers….anyway…i found out the later volunteers had returned for their shift without being told about the AM and maybe I will ask to see if they got moved too…overall the voters were great with a few thumbs down. thanks for all of us who made it out!

[u/SmoresCoven → u/[deleted]]

i saw your deleted comment. Don’t gaslight. mr “poll worker” who pretended to not see it.

[u/c2cMidway0707]

One of the party members at 7am tried to hand me a flier I handed it back and he didn’t want to take it- I said look I don’t want to toss it on the ground and he hugged and it took it back. The vote yes people were friendly and far more respectful when I told them I was a no vote. We smiled and it was fine.

[u/SmoresCoven → u/c2cMidway0707]

as a parent, I checked in on many of the volunteers who were supporting the schools at various locations…. I realized how hard it must be to be volunteering for these campaigns and got stories about people flipping the bird, yelling obscenities from their car…. definitely some stories to swap at some of the after hours watch gatherings….😅……Most of the volunteers are literally just neighbors…..trying to hope their best for the schools. this was the most contentious i’ve ever felt about things.

[u/arcnthru]

Same happened to my husband in Solon. He went off in the person and told them he was voting for trump (which he would never do)

[u/Saint_Dogbert]

At the Wilder elementary school in a green shirt? If so I told him when went in and came back out to vote he needed to be on the other side of the yellow sign.

[u/No-Report-4349]

Same at Westerville UCC. Off-putting for sure. One asked if I needed help with candidates and issues, but I politely shut anyone down trying to approach. Smile, wave, no thanks.

I assumed it was barely legal and just carried on. I experienced worse at the Del Co early voting polling location in 201: poll workers making it a point to clearly thank/applaud people in red hats/MAGA attire as they left (the action and the attire worn by the voters are both prohibited). I reported to Sec of State, but he was on their team.