What you can and can't wear to vote

Election Day is less than a week away, and while 50 million Americans have already voted, there is still plenty of time for other voters to get to the polls.

Whether you're a first-time voter or have only cast mail-in ballots in previous elections, you should know that polling places have dress codes that vary from state to state.

What shouldn't you wear to the polls?

Twenty-one states have laws banning the wearing of political clothing to the polls. It's called “campaigning” – another word for campaigning – and includes any type of election-related clothing, be it a “MAGA” hat, an Obama-Biden 2012 shirt, or even pop culture references like “Vote for Pedro.” “. Shirt from Napoleon dynamite. In some states, this applies to smaller items such as pens, stickers, and buttons.

Arkansas, California, Delaware, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Vermont all have them According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, there are laws against campaign clothing.

In the remaining states and in Washington, DC, campaign materials, signs, banners or literature are not permitted near or inside polling places, but there are no specific guidelines about what voters can wear. In Maine, for example, voters can wear campaign buttons if “the longest dimension of the button does not exceed 3 inches.” In Florida, voters even wear a costume mask when voting – they only have to remove it when poll workers check their photo ID.

You can find the specific dress codes for your state at the National Conference of State Legislatures website.

Why are there dress codes at polling stations?

The argument is that wearing or displaying political affiliation at a polling station could influence or intimidate others into voting for a particular candidate, party or issue.

The rules are also not limited to the inside of the polling station. State law also dictates how far someone wearing political clothing must stand from a polling place — typically between 50 and 200 feet.

Speaking to NPR, Gracia Hillman, a commissioner with the Election Assistance Commission, said it's up to poll workers to determine whether something violates the state's election laws.

“Election officials and legislatures have to find a balance between what you do to give voters a satisfactory voting experience and still give people who are campaigning the opportunity to do their thing in a convenient location outside of the city ” she said.

Doug Chapin, an election expert at the Pew Center, also told NPR, “The way you express your opinion at a polling place is by casting a ballot.”…It's just an opportunity to make the polling place a safe place to provide a place for voters of all opinions to cast their votes.”

You can find your state's specific campaign bans here the National Conference of State Legislatures website.

What happens if you violate your state's dress code?

Poll workers are allowed to ask voters to either cover or remove their clothing.

The penalty for violating the rules also varies from state to state. In Kansas, wearing political attire within 250 feet of a polling place is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail or a fine of up to $500. In Michigan, it is also a misdemeanor to break the dress code within 100 feet of the building where the voting booths are located.

Can you be turned away from voting for a dress code violation?

Poll workers are not permitted to intimidate or harass voters in any way that could affect their right to vote.

Dress code violations are also not listed as a legitimate reason that could deter voters from voting. Issues with voter ID and voter eligibility are the main reasons some people could be denied the right to vote.