A New Port Richey church whose pastor put out a sign critical of Democrats on Election Day will no longer serve as a polling place, Pasco County's supervisor of elections said Wednesday.
Brian Corley said Grace of God Church's status as a polling place has been revoked. He said he believed this was a planned stunt and because of complaints from voters tying up phone lines, voters were unable to reach his office and be helped in a timely fashion.
The church's Facebook page on Tuesday had a photo of the sign that read "Don't vote for Democrats on Tuesday and sing 'Oh How I Love Jesus' on Sunday."
The post, however, has been removed.
Corley yesterday said legally he could not do anything about the sign because it was outside the 100-yard zone outside the church entrance where political signs could not be posted.
The pastor was contacted, identified online as Al Carlisle, and was asked him to remove the sign, Corley said. He said Carlisle "indicated he would not take the sign down."
Corley said he told Carlisle "his decision would result in us not using his facility as a polling place and it would cost the taxpayer money to notify the voters of a change of a polling place and legal advertising."
He added it would be "an inconvenience to those voters in that precinct who now must go to a new polling place in the future."
The sign was eventually grabbed by a bystander, who drove away with it.
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