In PA, Repub. Party STILL trying to get voters with political shirts turned away at polling places

[JPZenger]

The GOP has not given up the ridiculous fight over whether a voter in PA is allowed to wear a campaign button or a shirt with their candidate's name on it while they vote. Two Republican officials sued in Commonwealth Court to seek a ban. The State Republican Party endorsed that lawsuit, which has not yet been decided.

We thought the issue had been ended when the PA. Department of State's Commissioner of Elections (the top elections official) sent a letter to all counties in PA. telling them to not turn away voters for simply wearing a button or a shirt promoting their candidate. "Active" campaigning inside a polling place is still prohibited, but simply wearing a button or shirt is considered "passive." But many Republican-controlled counties say they will ignore that letter.

Montgomery County (one of the most populated counties in PA) is saying they will turn away voters. The head of the Montgomery County GOP, Robert Kern Sr., wrote an editorial in the Phila. Inquirer Sunday saying that voters should be turned away for wearing a button or a shirt.

(FYI - A recent predecessor to Mr. Kern in that role had spent time in prison for felony political corruption).

The ACLU and the PA. Democratic Party say it is an attempt to intimidate voters, especially younger first time voters. It could particularly be an issue in a polling place with long lines (which often happens near colleges), if a person has to leave to change their shirt just as they are ready to vote, or if they don't have time to go home and change.

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Here's the State's letter:

http://www.aclupa.org/downloads/PassiveElectioneering.pdf

Here's excerpts from a recent AP news article on the issue:

http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2008/10/06/news/state/s_news178.txt

Montgomery County, a highly competitive political battleground in suburban Philadelphia, is sticking with its policy banning voters from wearing political buttons or related attire into the polls.

Douglas Hill, executive director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, said he had no hard numbers but that he believes the 67 counties are now ENVENLY split on the question.

...state elections commissioner Chet Harhut ...stressed the importance of not depriving citizens of their right to vote and said local officials should allow voters to wear partisan attire "if such electioneering remains passive and the voter takes no additional action to attempt to influence other voters."

Several counties in PA., such as York and Lehigh, said recently they will not kick out voters for wearing a political button or shirt.

In Montgomery, Monroe, Carbon and unknown other counties, it would be valuable for elections protection volunteers to keep a couple extra large plain T-shirts handy in case someone is turned away. One person from Montgomery County said the County Dem party has done this in the past.

[lizzieforkerry]

1. I'm pretty sure you can't wear them in Ohio n/t

[JPZenger]

5. Has never been an issue before in PA - voters won't know

Yes, there are some states that have had that rule for years, and print it on voter information materials. PA. never did have this rule, and there never was any info. on it distributed to voters. Therefore, voters won't know there is a problem until they show up.

I'm a political junkie, and I thought the State had resolved the issue. However, some counties are enforcing a rule on their own, which people won't expect.

[Beaverhausen]

2. You can't here in California either. Why is this an issue?

I can see why it would be considered campaigning inside the voting place. I have no problem with it.

[Dawgs]

3. Is it illegal to vote naked?

Cause I would strip down in protest if someone tried to pull that shit with me. Although, I would no better than to wear someone like to go and vote.

[MSMITH33156]

4. If this happens to anyone...

...if you are wearing a button, take it off and put it in your pocket. If you are wearing a shirt, take it off, turn it inside out, and go vote.

[FLyellowdog]

6. Take a few extra T-shirts or ponchos with you when you vote.

Then hang around and share them with anyone who needs them...well, not anyone, only Obama voters. This would be a good grassroots effort to help on election day.

[TornadoTN]

7. It's that way in Tennessee but not generally enforced

It really depends on the precinct and the people working the polls. We have some really old people working in my precinct and they are ridiculously zealous about the enforcement of rules like this, but they have no clue how to work the machine or verify the vote totals. It's unbelievable.

I got jumped on back during the primaries because I had an Obama lapel pin on my suit jacket. They went absolutely nuts about it while I stood there not saying a word. I took the pin off and put it in my pocket, yet they still harped on it all the way through the process. My wife went later in the day and they were still talking about it!