Have People Been Getting the Following Email

[NYDem Observer]

I just received this in my inbox. Is this something voters need to be concerned about?


Please, please, please advise everyone you know that they absolutely can NOT go to the polls wearing any Obama (or whoever you are voting for) shirts, pins, hats, etc. It is AGAINST THE LAW and will be grounds to have the polling officials to turn you away. This is considered campaigning and no one can campaign within X amount of feet of the polls. They are banking on us being overly excited and not being aware of this long standing law that you can bet will be ENFORCED THIS YEAR!!!!!

They are banking that if you are turned away, you will not go home and change your clothes and return to the polls to vote. Please just don't wear ANY gear of any sorts to the polls! Please share this information with as many people as you can. If you are already aware of this, please don't take it as insulting your intelligence.

[Madam Mossfern]

1. The way to deal with this

is to have a volunteer placed the appropriate distance from the polls with a plain t-shirt to loan to anyone who was turned away. Very simple solution.

[Dem_4_Life]

3. I didn't think about that but I like the T-Shirt idea.

Everyone needs to consider this and tell everyone they know.

[aquamarina]

9. Or a roll of duct tape to cover the text

[RichGirl]

18. Turn in inside out.

Anything else can be tucked in a pocket.

[ChoralScholar]

2. No, I haven't gotten that.

Is it completely true?

[Coexist]

4. so pop into the car and turn your shirt inside out.

[SharonRB]

5. This is not true

It's true that you can't campaign a certain distance from the polls, but it's not true that you can't wear clothing that promotes a particular candidate.

[grannylib]

7. I think it is, actually - I was told to take off a button back in the RayGun

years when I went to vote - you can't wear ANYTHING promoting any candidate for any seat at any level, as far as I know.

[jberryhill]

10. It depends on your state. In Delaware it is ABSOLUTELY TRUE

As it is in many other states.

This is from Title 15 of the Delaware Code:



§ 4942. Electioneering in polling place; penalties; definitions.

(a) No election officer, challenger or any other person within the polling place or within 50 feet of the entrance to the building in which the voting room is located shall electioneer during the conduct of the election. No political headquarters or gathering shall be permitted within that building during the conduct of the election.

(b) Whoever violates subsection (a) of this section shall be fined not more than $200 or imprisoned not more than 90 days, or both.

(c) Whoever, being an election officer, violates subsection (a) of this section shall be deemed to have knowingly and wilfully violated that election officer's own official duty.

(d) For the purposes of this section the following definition shall apply:

"Electioneering" includes political discussion of issues, candidates or partisan topics, the wearing of any button, banner or other object referring to issues, candidates or partisan topics, the display, distribution or other handling of literature or any writing or drawing referring to issues, candidates or partisan topics, the deliberate projection of sound referring to issues, candidates or partisan topics from loudspeakers or otherwise into the polling place or the area within 50 feet of the entrance to the building in which the voting room is located. (19 Del. Laws, c. 39, § 31; Code 1915, § 1793; Code 1935, § 1882; 45 Del. Laws, c. 154, § 16; 15 Del. C. 1953, § 4949; 57 Del. Laws, c. 181, § 63; 58 Del. Laws, c. 148, § 88; 58 Del. Laws, c. 215, § 36; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.)


Do not tell people something is not true, when it IS TRUE in many places.

[SharonRB]

14. Sorry -- I had no idea

I've never heard that here in Michigan. If it were, I'm sure it would be publicized.

[jberryhill]

16. No problem

The danger is in not publicizing it.

(and I get the bike rack for my Smart cabrio later this week woo hoo!)

[SharonRB]

20. Do you love your smartie as much as I do mine?

My husband hated it before I got it, but finally admitted he likes it now.

I'm bummed that soon it will be too cold to put the top down. I hardly ever used the AC all summer -- I always had the top down.

[jberryhill]

21. That's what the seat heaters are for /nt

[SharonRB]

22. LOL

That would keep my butt warm, but not my face and upper body!

[seemunkee]

15. True in MD

Saw it happen while poll watching.

[RichGirl]

19. This is ABSOLUTELY TRUE.

I've worked at polls for years...voters are NOT allowed in the voting place wearing, hat, pin, t-shirt, etc.

Like I said, we tell people with shirts to turn them inside out. It'll be November, wear a jacket over it.

[Obamarulz11]

6. Wear your Birthday suit

[Bucky]

8. that would be cool cause they might let me vote twice

[tulsakatz]

11. I actually did that one time...........

...in the last election I went to vote wearing a Kerry/Edwards t-shirt. At the time I did not know there was a law against it. They did tell me to go home.........fortunately I only live about a block from my polling place so I went home and changed and came back to vote 5 minutes later!

[RoadRage]

23. I think anyone who's going to wear an Obama shirt..

certainly will take the time to come back and vote. But, save yourself the hassle.. wear a Nike T-Shirt and be done with it!

[ContinentalOp]

12. I'm going to go in wearing a homemade McCain/Palin t-shirt and cause a big scene.

:P

[2008]

13. Snopes says...

http://www.snopes.com/politics/ballot/electioneering.asp

[NYDem Observer]

17. Thanks

[BlooInBloo]

24. Nope. I don't travel in internet circles where I would receive anti-Obama email.

[oberliner]

25. How is that an anti-Obama email?

I don't see anything that is "anti-Obama" about that email.

Can you explain?