Church_edited.jpg

This sign outside St. Luke Christian Church at 1800 Sparkman Drive N.W. in Huntsville encourages voters to choose Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton when they hit the polls.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 5:21 p.m. with comments from the pastor of St. Luke's Christian Church.

The pastor for an Alabama church that's telling people to "vote or pick cotton" said the message isn't directed in support of either major party candidate for president.

The message is written on the sign outside St. Luke Christian Church on Sparkman Drive Northwest in Huntsville.

"It's to spark a conversation of why voting is important," Pastor T.C. Johnson said. "It's to motivate voters and remind them and voting is important and has consequences."

A sign for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her running mate, vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine is outside St. Luke Christian Church's office in Huntsville.

A political sign supporting Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her running mate, vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine also was located outside the church office this afternoon, but Johnson said that was left behind after a political rally last night.

"We had Trump signs and other candidates, too," Johnson said. "Everybody was invited to the rally. Some of them just left their signs here."

Johnson said the sign should not be interpreted as a racial gesture. "It says nothing about black people picking cotton," Johnson said. "We know the history, but it wasn't just black people picking cotton; whites were too."

The church is being used as a polling place for Tuesday's elections.