Issue date: 10/16/08 Section: Opinion

Some Republicans are asking that you to leave your "Obama for President" shirt and your "McCain Rocks" button at home when voting in the 2008 Presidential Elections.
The Grand Old Party is asking states to ban voters from adorning any clothing or accessories that support a presidential candidate or their vice president when they cast their ballot in the 2008 Presidential Election.
Federal law requires that anyone distributing campaign information remain 40 feet from the polling center. This law was designed to shield the polls from partisan electioneering.
New interpretation of this law could determine which presidential candidate's supporters might be turned away from the polls.
Maine, Montana, Vermont and Kansas already explicitly prohibit wearing campaign buttons, stickers and badges inside polling places, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
There is nothing in the "2008 Election Laws of the State of Florida" that prohibits the wearing of partisan shirts, buttons, or stickers into the polling center.
Republican states are advising the staff at polling centers to ask voters to leave any items, such as hats, signs, and buttons outside the center while voting.
Ultimately, it is up to the discretion of those running the polling center to ask you to remove partisan campaign attire, if they feel that you are impeding the voting rights of others or creating a biased voting environment.
The concern of the state is to protect voters from intimidations at the polls that have not existed since the banning of literacy tests at voting centers and the passing of the Fifteenth Amendment.
Voters believe that asking poll workers to decide, on their own, whether a shirt stepped over the line would turn them into "fashion police." Voters don't want to have to worry about whether or not their clothing is going to keep them from voting.
The fact remains that Americans have fought and died to ensure us certain freedoms. Any regulation pertaining to who can and cannot vote in elections should be decided in the Supreme Court and not left up to the state governments.
Even if a voter is Republican, he or she should feel appalled that this ban is even considered let alone already enacted in four states. Your right to wear a McCain button is at stake here too.
The regulation to keep electioneerers and people passing out flyers and campaign paraphernalia 40 feet away from voting centers is fantastic, and federally supported throughout the United States.
No one wants to fight through a crowd of overly caffeinated partisan supporters to cast their vote. However, comparing the abrasive tactics of electioneerers to the impact of a t-shirt is absurd.
Any voter who leaves his or her house on Election Day undecided, and then proceeds to base his or her vote upon how many Obama shirts or McCain buttons they see at their local voting center should have their voting privileges revoked.
It is the responsibility of every American to make the most informed decision on Election Day. This means doing your homework on the candidates before you get to the voting booth.
So come November, strip down to the bare essentials, make a beeline for the booth and cast your vote, least you get distracted by all the pretty t-shirts and flashy buttons that will completely change your political views.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools