‘Vote for life’: Local church under fire for message displayed outside voting precinct on Election Day

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Some voters are expressing outrage after pictures began circulating on social media of anti-abortion messaging on a sign outside a Chatham County polling precinct Tuesday.

The Seed Church, located off of Chatham Parkway, serves as the 5-06 precinct in Chatham County.

The church’s sign along Chatham Parkway displayed a picture that said, “vote for life” during the Georgia Senate runoff elections on Jan. 5.

Georgia election law prohibits anyone from distributing or displaying campaign or political material within 150 feet of a polling precinct.

Chatham County Board of Elections member Antwan Lang said the sign is more than 150 feet away from the building but says he wants to reconsider the use of the church as a future polling place.

“I will ask for it to be changed because I do not believe that that type of message, whether it’s pro-life or whether it’s pro-choice, and no matter where I stand on it, it should’ve been neutral,” said Lang. “It shouldn’t have happened.”

Others expressed their frustrations on social media saying, “voters must drive past [the sign] in order to enter the polls.”

WSAV NOW reached out to Pastor Kempie Womble of the Seed Church, who denied a request for an on-camera interview.

He told WSAV NOW that the specific message on the digital sign has been up for at least a month, if not for longer.

He says the church never had an intention to persuade or intimidate voters by displaying the sign and feels the frustration felt by some community members has blown the situation out of proportion.

Womble also said that as a church, they advocate for life and said that people on both sides of the aisle share pro-life ideologies.

Lang said that although the board cannot take any legal actions, he personally feels the continued use of the church as a polling place sends the wrong message to voters.