Lutheran congregations step up as Arizona Voting Centers
Lutherans have a long and storied history of civic engagement. One way is to be a Voting Center.
According to data presented by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, over 230,000 polling places were used in 2018. Less than 1% of those were located at election offices. Most were at schools, community centers... and churches.
The need Access to polling places is an important element of our political process. Myrna Perez, director of the voting rights and elections program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, is quoted in a June 2020 AP news article saying, “In the best of times, really long lines are deterring and disenfranchising. In the time of the coronavirus, long lines can be deadly.”
Several ELCA congregations have opened their facilities as polling places in previous elections.
Being a Public Church: Guidance for Churches and Clergy participating in the electoral process
Holy Trinity and Mountain View to the rescue!
Earlier this fall, in light of the news that some Maricopa County Schools chose not to be voting locations this year, LAMA reached out to the Maricopa County Elections Department to see if there were any areas facing a shortage of voting locations. The Department told us that they are still in need of voting centers in Chandler and Ahwatukee, if any of our churches would be interested in, and able to, host voting.
We reached out to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chandler, and Mountain View Lutheran Church in Ahwatukee, and to our delight, they both accepted our invitation to convert their spaces to voting centers to help the county in a tight spot, and for the convenience of their neighbors.
Arizona Lutheran congregations step up
To be sure, Holy Trinity and Mountain View were only two of 37 Lutheran congregations who offered their space at voting centers in Arizona’s 15 counties this year: 24 ELCA, 6 LCMS, 3 LCMC, 2 WELS, 1 LLC and 1 TAALC, see below:
Apache
None
Cochise
None
Coconino
Christ Lutheran Church, Sedona, ELCA
Gila
Mount Cross Lutheran Church, Payson, ELCA
Graham
None
Greenlee
None
La Paz
None
Maricopa
All Saints Lutheran, Phoenix, ELCA
Christ the Redeemer Lutheran, Phoenix, LCMS
Deer Valley Lutheran, Phoenix, WELS
Faith Lutheran, Phoenix, ELCA
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Chandler, ELCA
Life in Christ Lutheran, Peoria, LCMS
Living Water Lutheran, Scottsdale, ELCA
Love of Christ Lutheran, Mesa, ELCA
Mountain View Lutheran Church, Ahwatukee, ELCA
Peace Lutheran, Peoria, ELCA
Phoenix Laestadian Lutheran, Cave Creek, LLC
Spirit of Grace Lutheran, Surprise, ELCA
Saint Andrew Lutheran, Phoenix, ELCA
Saint Johns Lutheran, Glendale, ELCA
Trinity Lutheran Church, Phoenix, ELCA
University Lutheran, Tempe, ELCA
Victory Lutheran, Mesa, LCMC
Mohave
Community Lutheran Church, Bullhead City, ELCA
Mohave
Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Lake Havasu City, ELCA
Saint John Evangelical Lutheran Church, Bullhead City, LCMS
Navajo
None
Pima
Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, Tucson, ELCA
Christ Lutheran Vail Church, Vail, LCMS
Dove of Peace Lutheran Church, Tucson, ELCA
Lord of Grace Lutheran Church, Tucson, ELCA
Lutheran Church of the Foothills, Tucson, ELCA
Mount Olive Lutheran Church, Tucson, LCMS
Mount Zion Lutheran Church, Tucson, ELCA
Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church & School, Marana, WELS
Resurrection Lutheran Church, Oro Valley, ELCA
Santa Cruz Lutheran Church, Tucson, ELCA
Pinal
Central Lutheran Church, Arizona City, ELCA
Christ the Victor Lutheran Church, Florence, LCMC
Mountain View Lutheran Church, Apache Junction, LCMS
Sonland Lutheran Church, Casa Grande, TAALC
Santa Cruz
None
Yavapai
American Lutheran Church, Prescott, LCMC
Yuma
None
What does a location need to qualify as a voting center?
Potential potential voting facilities must meet the following requirements:
Must be available to host voting for 12 days, or 2 days. With delivery and set up taking place a couple of days before opening to the public.
Must have a minimum of 1500 sq ft room
ADA accessible
Access to power, we bring all our own equipment.