The Separation of
Church and Real Estate

As both sides of proposition 8 battled it out on election day, a new legal divide opened up between California law and the churches that offer their facilities for polling places.

Throughout the day, churches insisted that the right to electioneer 100 feet away did not apply to them, based on calls of complaint places to No on 8 volunteers. Churches argued that their parking lots are private property and tossed No on 8 volunteers off the premises. In many instances, No on 8 volunteers argued that it's only in parking lots that voters are actually out of their cars and accessible to hand materials.

Piecing together accounts coming in throughout the day, Prop 8 opponents protested church "rules" in at least three forums.

No on 8's attorney complained to the secretary of state but failed to get a definite response before close of business. The L.A. County counsel's office apparently supported the private-property argument. City attorney Rocky Delgadillo reportedly fielded a complaint, but his office did not return repeated requests for comment.

With the fate of Prop. 8 still lingering, expect the validity of churches as polling places to be called into question in the coming weeks. (Anne Stockwell, The Advocate)