Weisenberg Township voters will be casting their ballots at Hope Community Church on May 15 despite a nearly two-year-old letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation and an initial change in polling location to the Weisenberg Township Volunteer Fire Company.

The foundation is the same group that has demanded the cross in the Lehigh County seal be removed.

The Northwestern Press spoke with Chief Clerk of the Lehigh County Election Board Timothy A. Benyo, and Pastor Ken Kalisz of Hope Church on April 17.

Rebecca Markert, staff attorney for FFRF, sent a letter dated June 22, 2016, to Benyo stating “a local resident” had contacted the foundation concerning the location of the polling place in Weisenberg Township.

“We understand that the church has a large cross above the entrance used for voting. Inside the polling station, there is a table that displays information about the church’s activities and clubs, as well as free cookies and a pile of cookbooks for sale to benefit the church. Our complainant also reports that there are large religious signs, large crosses, and more religious decorations behind the registration table, and in full view of voters,” Markert states in the letter.

In addition, the letter states, ”At a minimum, religious displays should be removed or covered while voters are participating in their greatest civic duty and polling workers should be made aware that it is inappropriate to create religious signs to be placed in the voting area.”

Markert additionally makes the following request from Benyo: “Given your authority, and the need to protect the fundamental constitutional principle of separation of state and church, FFRF strongly urges you to refrain from using churches as polling places for future elections.

Kalisz told The Press he attended the April 3 Lehigh County Voter Registration regular board meeting with members Gail Coffin, Doris A. Glaessmann and Phillips Armstrong, chair of election board, Lehigh County Solicitor John Ashcraft, Benyo and a member of his staff, and Allen R. Cerullo, judge of elections for Weisenberg Township, at the Lehigh County Government Center, Allentown.

“They voted to keep the election at Hope Community Church for the May election,” Kalisz said. “They all liked the facility because it exceeded all the requirements for a polling place, such as it is all on one floor, has sufficient parking, bathrooms, is handicapped accessible and people can wait inside prior to voting.”

No decision was made regarding November’s election. That was left open, Kalisz said.

He said the fire house was too small as there are only 23 parking spaces and there was a concern because May 15 is a school day, the fire trucks would have to be out in the driveway, and it is trash pickup day.

Kalisz said parking seemed to be the board of election members main concern.

“They were considering moving the location because of the Freedom from Religion Foundation,” Kalisz said.

The pastor said election board members asked if he would take down the cross and he said “no.”

“We are aware there are other religions out there,” Kalisz said. “On election day, we don’t share the gospel or handout Bibles, but we are not ashamed of the cross.

“We see it as a sign of forgiveness and hope, so we will not cover it up.

“We are happy to host the elections for the community. That is our service back to the community.”

Benyo told The Press he and the election board tried several remedies but none satisfied the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

“The pastor said he did not want to move the cross,” Benyo said. “The board determined it was just going to look at the facilities.

Benyo said the church offers a safer location for voters than the fire company does. He said they discussed the heavy traffic along Golden Key Road, onto which drivers exit the fire company. Benyo also noted the lack of parking spots for voters at the fire company and the possibility of firefighters being delayed to an emergency while trying to get the trucks off fire station property.

“The board said to leave the polling place there for the primary this year,” Benyo said, adding he is looking into the possibility of having dividers at the voting machines to separate them from the sanctuary.