It’s not a stupid law. It exists to protect voters from intimidation.
If the law makes no provision for enforcement, then that is certainly stupid.
As I understand it, in my state not only is it illegal to interfere with a poll worker, it’s also illegal for the police to not make an arrest when the poll worker demands it under the law.
we already protect voters from intimidation, with very strict rules about who’s allowed in and around the voting room, and within a certain distance of the building. wearing a t-shirt is not intimidation, despite what you’ve been told by the people who somehow convinced you that it is.
suspending everyone’s first amendment right is already a contentious issue, but there is no feasible way to have this enforcement burden sit on anyone’s shoulders except for the abysmally paid election workers who are already having to monitor and enforce dozens of voting rules.
the law is fucking stupid
edit: also, who’s defining what’s “political” or not? where do you draw the line? are rainbow flags disallowed? they would have to be, otherwise you’re dealing with “why can that guy wear a rainbow but i can’t wear my trump hat?!”
what about “that guy’s wearing a shirt with a gun on it”–is that enough to turn that person away? “that guy’s wearing red, obviously trying to intimidate me”?
again, as an election worker, if it was my job to scrutinize every piece of every person’s clothing and turn people away based on some nebulous definition of “political speech,” i’d be walking out. maybe that’s the idea
It’s not a stupid law. It exists to protect voters from intimidation.
If the law makes no provision for enforcement, then that is certainly stupid.
As I understand it, in my state not only is it illegal to interfere with a poll worker, it’s also illegal for the police to not make an arrest when the poll worker demands it under the law.
we already protect voters from intimidation, with very strict rules about who’s allowed in and around the voting room, and within a certain distance of the building. wearing a t-shirt is not intimidation, despite what you’ve been told by the people who somehow convinced you that it is.
suspending everyone’s first amendment right is already a contentious issue, but there is no feasible way to have this enforcement burden sit on anyone’s shoulders except for the abysmally paid election workers who are already having to monitor and enforce dozens of voting rules.
the law is fucking stupid
edit: also, who’s defining what’s “political” or not? where do you draw the line? are rainbow flags disallowed? they would have to be, otherwise you’re dealing with “why can that guy wear a rainbow but i can’t wear my trump hat?!”
what about “that guy’s wearing a shirt with a gun on it”–is that enough to turn that person away? “that guy’s wearing red, obviously trying to intimidate me”?
again, as an election worker, if it was my job to scrutinize every piece of every person’s clothing and turn people away based on some nebulous definition of “political speech,” i’d be walking out. maybe that’s the idea