I finally understood why some countries ban political t-shirts at polling stations

Last election day in Portland, I showed up wearing a shirt with a cheeky slogan about voting, and a poll worker told me I had to turn it inside out or leave, so I spent 10 minutes in the bathroom trying to make a joke shirt look respectable while people gave me dirty looks - has anyone else run into weird local laws about what you can wear to vote?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jason1mo ago

Those rules exist for a reason and honestly people just need to follow them instead of making it all about themselves. Showing up with a political message at a voting site is basically asking for a confrontation when the whole point is to keep the place neutral so everyone feels welcome. I saw a guy in California wearing a bright red "Make America Great Again" hat and a poll worker asked him to remove it, which is exactly the same standard applied to both sides. The rules aren't targeting your joke shirt specifically, they are there to prevent the whole place from turning into a debate club when people are just trying to cast their ballot.

skyler_mitchell1mo ago

Got pulled over in Texas once trying to vote with a shirt that just said "I'm with her" from like 2016. The poll worker said it counted as electioneering or something, so I had to borrow one of those ugly emergency ponchos they keep in cars. Walked in looking like a wet trash bag while my wife laughed at me from the line. Still voted though, even if my dignity took a hit that day lol.