Three misstatements have been voiced or implied lately in letters-to-editor and at Friday’s League of Women Voters legislative forum.

First, we’ve repeatedly heard about “union halls” as voting places, but Auditor Mary Mosiman and representative Dave Deyoe know that there has never been a union hall in Story County used for satellite voting. In fact, I haven’t met anyone who even knows of a union hall in our county, let alone public voting during a scheduled union meeting — but there will be voting at two churches while religious services are going on.

Second, Alex Tuckness said in a letter that Story County asked the evangelical churches to serve as satellite voting sites. That is not true. The Story County auditor’s own website shows which sites petitioned and asked to serve as satellite sites, and which were “established at the discretion of the Auditor.” Cornerstone Church and Stonebrooke Church both petitioned to be satellite sites and are the only two sites that asked for voting during regular Sunday service times. It is this which is the most disconcerting.

Both Tim Gartin and Karen Sevde said publicly at Friday’s forum, that they signed the petitions, so Tuckness’ claim that the county asked both churches is invalidated by both Mosiman’s website and by both candidates; Gartin being an elder at Cornerstone.

Third, Auditor Mosiman has said she cannot legally change voting time at the churches. However, the Secretary of State’s election director has said that Mosiman has the legal right to decide the day and time of satellite voting. So, moving the time from regular church services to a time which clearly protects the separation of church and state, is within her purview.

Let me add that Cornerstone’s site selection certainly is not geographically suitable as a voting site for the general public. But its selection most certainly helps a specific congregation.