Can you wear political shirts when voting

To cast a ballot before or on Election Day, citizens generally need to be registered to vote in their state ahead of time, although 21 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws that allow for same-day registration.

Elections in the US are overseen by local governments and operate under a decentralized system, while adhering to various local, state, and federal laws.

According to Ballotpedia, 28 states for the election cycle are requiring employers to give employees some time off to vote. Here are some things to keep in mind as you head to the polls. Thus, wearing a political shirt is interpreted as a political act, and could prevent you from casting your ballot that day.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures , most states have restrictions on whether people can display signs, hand out campaign literature, or solicit votes within a specific distance of a voting station. There are some exceptions: Arizona passed a law in that allows voters to wear political t-shirts, buttons, earrings, and other apparel with a candidate or party logo to the polls.

California, too, has sought to differentiate between political slogans and electioneering attempts, the Los Angeles Times reported. The Washington Post reported that some voters in Georgia and Tennessee have been challenged by poll workers for wearing Black Lives Matter apparel to vote early.

This webpage provides a breakdown of prohibitions in each state. Here is a summary:. The table below provides information on electioneering prohibitions for each state. Dimensions of the buffer zone are set by the county board of elections and must not be less than 25 ft. Who We Are. Show Search Search Query. Play Live Radio. Next Up:.

Available On Air Stations. Some states don't allow voters to wear attire with politicial affiliation at the polls. Displaying or voicing information for or against any candidate is considered "electioneering" -- another word for campaigning. Laws on electioneering at polling locations vary by state. For example, in California and Texas, political attire cannot be worn within feet of a polling place.

In Delaware, it's 50 feet. In Delaware, that includes buttons, banners or other objects referring to issues, candidates or partisan topics.

And in California, it also includes hats, pencils, pens, shirts, signs or stickers. Others are more lenient -- but with fine print. Not all states have banned political attire at the polls. In Iowa, voters can wear clothes or buttons with political affiliations -- but they have to leave a polling place as soon as they cast their ballots. In some states, political T-shirts are not allowed at the polling place on Election Day.