Black Lives Matter sign was never too political. County owes church an apology
In the fall of 2018, a Black Lives Matter banner in front of the Unitarian Universalist Church in north Fresno prompted complaints that the BLM messaging was “too political” and that voters would be uncomfortable using it as a polling place in that November’s general election.
So what did Fresno County Clerk Brandi Orth — who’s in charge of elections — do? She listened to the complainers. A week before the election, she removed the church as a voting location. Her reasoning: It would be best not to offend some voters.
Fast forward to Thursday: With the support of Fresno’s mayor and City Council, community activists invited the public to help paint Black Lives Matter on P Street in front of City Hall. The letters are giant sized and colorful, and cannot be missed, which is the point.
Rules for electioneering
State regulations require that no “electioneering” be done within 100 feet of a polling place. The Rev. Tim Kutzmark at the Unitarian Universalist said its banners were more than 200 feet from the voting booths.
Additionally, the state voting law handbook explains that even a poll worker could wear a T-shirt with the message “Down with liberals” because that does not take a position for or against a candidate or measure.
But at the time of Orth’s decision, county spokesman Jordan Scott said the county seeks polling locations “that encourage voters to come to the polls and feel comfortable casting their votes on issues.”
Apologies needed
Any intimation that the sign was electioneering was just as preposterous then as it is now — as Black Lives Matter is proudly proclaimed for all to see on a street in the heart of downtown Fresno.
Fresno County has since moved to a vote-by-mail system, which has dramatically reduced the number of in-person polling places. The Unitarian Universalist Church’s days as a voting center may be over, but its Black Lives Matter banner still flies.
To bring this full circle, the county should apologize to the Unitarian Universalist Church, admit the ban as a voting place was wrong and recognize there is absolutely nothing offensive about the Black Lives Matter movement in general and the church’s signage in particular. It would be the least the county could do.
This story was originally published June 19, 2020 at 4:34 PM.