I voted, and then I complained

I voted early today. My precinct is at the local (Madison, TN) library, and as I was standing in line to vote I saw one of McScrewloose's books prominently displayed, in an area of the library where it would have maximum exposure to voters. No books by Obama were in sight. I asked whether there was a Democratic poll watcher on site, was directed to one of the regular poll workers and pointed out the problem. She said she would "talk to them about it" (she was a young AA woman so my hunch is she took it seriously). After I got home I called out local Obama HQ and reported it there as well. Was I making something over nothing? I don't know, but it really felt like what I saw was not-so-subtle electioneering within the polling place.

I think you did the right thing.

Polling places should be politically neutral. Understandably, libraries will carry information of political relevance--not just books on the candidates, but magazines as well. It should not be too difficult to cover or move these materials to keep them from voters.

Complacency is what got us Bush, 2 wars, and an economy in the shitter... Always speak up. Always stand for principle.

The stuff that's on display in church all-purpose rooms sometimes bothers me, as well, when I'm pollwatching or standing in line to vote.

We all have to do our part to make sure the polling place is completely non-partisan. I had a dustup once with a Republican pollwatcher (whose "job," like mine, was to sit down, shut up, and watch what's going on (and get the names of our respective party's voters so we can call those who haven't voted yet). The woman (a local lawyer who thought she was all that) was basically trying to run the place, and was telling people, "no... if you haven't voted since X year, you probably can't vote here," etc. etc. Telling people what polling place they voted in based on their address (off the top of her head) ... crap like that. She may have been right about everything she told people, but it wasn't her place to do that. It was the place of the judge of elections or the other election workers running the polling place. She was also a member of the church where the voting was happening, and was giving out church materials to people in the voting area.

So I complained about her to the judge, and he talked to her, and she bitched at me and went outside and complained about me to the GOP committeepeople outside, but she finally sat down and shut up. Glared at me the rest of the day ... it was pretty horrible. But I'm glad I got the judge to do something about her.

The next year, that woman ran for county judge; she was ruled "unqualified" by the local bar association, and she dropped out of the race. How happy was I?

then you can return them after the election. Or if you don't want them in your house, you could simply scoop them up and find a good place for them to rest, until after the election (there are lots of good hiding places in most libraries). And, of course, don't make a spectacle of yourself when you do this. :)

He didn't write it lol

That said, I can't imagine it was deliberate. Libraries, and librarians, are the antithesis of anyone's tendencies to censor and to control information.

I wonder if it might have been the result of something like this?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=4289229

data within sight of polls and that includes books.