NIXA, MO — State law requires Missouri schools to serve as public polling places for voters to vote on election day. But if Nixa School Board members Heather Zoromski and Mike Copeland had their way, the schools wouldn’t be involved at all.
Why?
They don’t like political signs planted in the school yard on election day.
The twosome put up a fuss about it during the most recent school board meeting. A vote on whether the school should buck the law and ditch being a polling place fell on its face, however.
That’s because fellow board members Alex Bryant and Bridget Bidinger led the charge in favor of the law and keeping polling places as is. For now.
There is a vote coming next month to decide on the political signs allowed on school property on election day, November 5. Yes, that’s the big, fat general election where voters decide Trump or Harris among other things.
Other discussion at the board meeting circled around safety of students on Election Tuesday. Keeping the kiddos separate from the voting public is a concern at other school districts outside Missouri as well… so that’s a normal concern; but this business of poo poo-ing candidate signs is, well, a bit out there.
A dumb reason was offered during the August primary election from a school official. He told electioneers a political sign might suggest the school was endorsing a particular candidate. Whaaat? You can’t make this up. I saw the video of the official saying that!
Click here for that story.
But, despite all that fuss, I know from good sources that the Nixa R-II school board will not interfere with the first amendment rights of the public to place political candidate signs on election day at the polling places.
So there’s that.