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OC at the polls tomorrow?

ManInBlack

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
1,551
Location
SW Idaho
Greetings, fellow Idahoans! Having moved here a few months ago, I have been excited at the prospect of OC'ing to the polls, which, in my mind, combines our two most sacred rights into one, concrete action. However, as I have been thinking and doing research, a couple of questions have come up in my mind that I am hoping you all can answer:

"My" polling place is Bridgepoint Baptist Church on Broadway here in Boise (near the Federal Way/I-84 turnoffs), although I believe I can go to any polling place to vote.

1) Can the church personnel forbid me from carrying on their private property? To my mind, by agreeing to act as a temporary entity of the Secretary of State, they would lose some of their private property rights. Just as they could not prevent someone from voting if he wore an anti-Christian/anti-religion/anti-God/etc. t-shirt (with the exception, obviously, of a clearly politically partisan article of clothing), they also would not be able to prevent me from exercising one of my fundamental civil rights, now incorporated to the states under the 14th Amendment in the Chicago decision.

2) As near as I can tell, Bridgepoint does not maintain a K-12 school on the premises. However, in the event that they did, or if they have a preschool, would that in any way compromise my right (only in the overreaching eyes of the law, of course) to open carry while voting at the church's polling place?


Thanks for the help, guys! So far, I've open-carried more in the few months I've lived here than I have in the other places I've lived combined. I haven't had any problems yet, and just want to keep it that way! ;)
 
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ecocks

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2009
Messages
1,040
Location
USA
Mine is at a school but I mailed in my ballot.

Logically (IANAL), I believe you could carry anywhere except polling locations within the proscribed places. Even a posted location is not a violation unless you refuse to leave, although it is certainly disrespectful of property rights.
 

carracer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2008
Messages
1,108
Location
Nampa, Idaho, USA
Mine is in a church as well. Will find out this afternoon as I have my 1911 and level 3 in my car.

The 4th of July and Election Day. What better days to express our freedoms!
 

ISRAEL

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
277
Location
Boise, Idaho, United States
Mine is in a church as well. Will find out this afternoon as I have my 1911 and level 3 in my car.

The 4th of July and Election Day. What better days to express our freedoms!

Our voting place is at the 7th Day Adventist Church on Cloverdale, I did C.C. if you can call it that, I carried a big 44 magnum, most of the holster in visible, any boby can see there is a gun, I had no problem, most people looked at my belt buckle, I have no idea about O.C at that place, I O.C. at my church when we have men s prayer breakfast, .
 

ManInBlack

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
1,551
Location
SW Idaho
Well, I did it, and had no problems whatsoever. The poll workers were very friendly,and while I did get some looks and overheard things like "look, he has his gun" while I was filling out my ballot, overall it was a positive, normalizing experience. I heard one guy say to the older women, "I heard that one state wasn't letting people bring guns to the polls, but then they had to." I assume he was talking about the cop in Maine who was asked to disarm by the rogue "poll warden."

After voting and getting my sticker, I went up to the Albertsons on Federal Way and Gowen, spent about an hour inside shopping, then went to the liquor store and filled up with gas. No comments or looks at all. Carry on!
 

carracer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2008
Messages
1,108
Location
Nampa, Idaho, USA
OC'd my 1911. Only one double take from one person doing the ballot hand out. She then smiled tho and didn't ask or say anything.

Was disappointed they didn't have any stickers! Wanted to put it on my holster.
 
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