A poll worker in Derry, New Hampshire, claims she was fired for saying three words to voters as she handed out ballots. Those words were: “God bless you.”
Ruth Provencal argues she was wrongly terminated as an election worker because she offered this simple blessing to voters at the polls.
“This country was founded with God and if we take away God out of this town or this country, we’re definitely a country that goes under,” Provencal told WHDH.com. “I’m just surprised that she was taken by that remark as being not lawful because I felt we’re still in America.”
In a published statement, Renee Routhier, chairman of the Town of Derry Supervisors of the Checklist, disputed Provencal’s claim. She said, “It was not just her saying, ‘God bless you for coming out to vote.’ It was her previous possible electioneering.”
But Provencal insists she didn’t tell anyone to vote for particular candidates. The Catholic League is up in arms over the not-so-blessed firing. The nonprofit said she did not violate law.
“As president of the nation’s largest Catholic civil rights organization, I would like to know what part of the law was violated by Ms. Provencal?” asked William Donahue, president of the Catholic League.
“Has any voter registered a complaint? If so, how did her remark influence the voter’s decision? Moreover, because Ms. Provencal made her allegedly offensive remark after voters had cast their ballot, it would be instructive to know how she could have influenced their decision.”
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