Subscribe
NewsOne Featured Video
CLOSE

Philadelphia (HuffPo)– An African-American woman in Philadelphia reported that staff in a voting center made her affirm that her address was correct by swearing on the Bible. Lindsay Granger, shared her discontent on her personal blog, on the grounds that she is not Christian, and her “hypersensitive” feelings on the history of African-Americans voting rights.

Did anyone else have to swear on a bible that their address was correct before they were able to vote? just wondering, because i did, [sic]” Philadelphia voter Lindsay Granger wrote on her blog after voting in last Tuesday’s mid-term election. “I had to lay my palm on the good book and state my name and address before i was allowed to sign my name in the voting log and enter the booth. they called it an affirmation. i call it creepy… and a little offensive [sic].”

Granger notified VotersUnite.org last week after the incident, which, she told the non-partisan election watchdog organization, made her “extremely uncomfortable because i’m not a Christian, and when i brought that up I was told to do it anyway [sic].”

In her blog item, Granger, an African American, admitted to being “hypersensitive” given “the historical context of black people voting in america [sic].”

When informed of the incident, Bob Lee, the Voter Registration Administrator for the Philadelphia City Commissioners, confirmed to The BRAD BLOG that Bibles are, indeed, included in the package of election materials provided to each polling site, but says no such oath is required before casting a vote.

The incident reportedly took place at Philadelphia’s Ward 15, Division 01 polling place at Trinity Baptist Church on Poplar Street. It was Granger’s first time voting at that precinct after having moved recently from another area in the city.

Lee conceded that, based on Granger’s description of the incident, which he hadn’t heard about until we contacted him for comment, it sounded like the election board at the precinct “needs some training.”

Read entire article at HuffingtonPost.com

Share this post on Facebook! CLICK HERE:

http://widgets.fbshare.me/files/fbshare.js