Comments on: FYI: Passive Electioneering in IL

By: sarah

sarah — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:13:53 +0000

Good point, Penny. The Colorado ballot is so long this year that it will take $1.17 to mail back! Due to some glitch, I haven’t received mine yet, though I allegedly should tomorrow. Nerve-wracking — I haven’t voted by mail before, and I’m paranoid that it somehow won’t be counted.

By: Liza

Liza — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:12:02 +0000

New York claims to have that law (according to the pdf), but when I voted in the primary I had a “Hillary” button right front and center on my bag and no one said anything (until I was walking home – but I was used to, as a Clinton supporter, being yelled at by the Obama fans because of my pin – I rudeness *I* never returned).

By: Nan

Nan — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 10:18:45 +0000

This has been the policy for decades in most states — no passive electioneering within a set distance of the polls — but unfortunately isn’t as well publicized as it should be so there are always some people caught by surprise when they get to the polls. I think it would be more of a problem in southern states than in northern, because if you’re voting in someplace like Wisconsin or North Dakota odds are you’ve got a jacket on so can cover up. And with early voting if you are dressed in a way that can’t be fixed on the spot, you’ve got time to go home, change, and come back another day. I noticed when I voted a couple days ago the signs said no campaigning within 150 of the polls. From what I could see, no one out of the hundreds of people there (we were in line for over two hours) had shown up wearing any campaign gear (tee-shirts, buttons, whatever) so most people do know the rules.

I think we should be worried more about the real voter intimidation and suppression going on, like here in Georgia where something like 50,000 people have received letters telling them they’re being purged from the voter rolls because they’re not citizens. CNN interviewed an African-American college student yesterday who got one of those letters — she was born in Boston, Massachusetts.

By: Penny

Penny — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:43:09 +0000

Speaking of voting by mail–remember to use correct postage. The ballots for some California locations are so thick that they need 57c to return. I heard last night that the post office has agreed to return them even with only one stamp, but in other places, failure to use sufficient postage might get your vote lost in the system. Don’t take that chance.

By: Aurora

Aurora — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:39:13 +0000

Lexy, I was wearing my pajamas! In Oregon, natch. I did have to get dressed to drop my ballot off at the library, though. I think EVERYONE should be able to vote by mail! None of these problems.

By: Penny

Penny — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:38:16 +0000

I have an Obama bottle-cap pendant, that’ll tuck into my cleavage to vote; and pins are easy enough to remove. I guess the moral is, don’t wear an Obama bikini and nothing else to the polls (and I live near the beach, so that could happen). Save the Obama bikini for the party later? ;)

By: Twistie

Twistie — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:30:20 +0000

Yeah, I was going to bring up the prevention of intimidation/privacy of vote thing, but a couple folk beat me to it.

When I’m getting ready to vote, I always make sure I have no buttons, tee shirts, badges, stickers, etc. about my person. The closest I want to get to indulging in passive electioneering on election day is my tradition of wearing the ‘I voted’ sticker the polls around these parts hand out on my cheek for the rest of the time I’m out in public as a reminder to others to participate in the process, whatever their views may be.

To my mind, the time for campaigning ends on the morning of the election. Then we all need to make our voices heard and prepare to cope with the outcome, whether we like what it is or not.

That said, I’m seriously hoping to wake up on a Wednesday morning in November to the news that the United States has elected its first African-American president. And when that happens (hey, I’m going to be as positive as possible until I have reason to be otherwise!) I’m going to celebrate with baby-flavored donuts and sparkly, awesome clothes.

By: Tricia

Tricia — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:27:11 +0000

fj: Bwah!!!

By: fillyjonk

fillyjonk — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:21:57 +0000

An important point: Even if you live in a state without passive electioneering rules, the poll workers are just regular people and they have heard the same rumors you have. If they haven’t explicitly been told otherwise, they may assume that the rules are in effect. Free speech is perhaps our greatest right, but at the same time, it’s easier on you, them, and the people behind you in line if you just wear your Baby Donuts shirt regardless of what state you live in.

By: kateharding

kateharding — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:17:22 +0000

I realized that my comment makes me come off as some sort of right-wing troll, which is, er, not me at all. Oh, I didn't think that! I totally take your point. A lot of lefty people don't seem to get that the rule is in place to prevent exactly the kind of intimidation that is more likely to hit Democratic voters, not to hinder freedom of expression.