Houston woman's Obama T-shirt serves as voting 'dress code' reminder

Houston woman's Obama T-shirt serves as voting 'dress code' reminder

www.khou.com

HOUSTON -- A voter who went to the polls Thursday at an early voting location south of the Texas Medical Center served as this mid-term election’s reminder to keep your politically themed clothing at home.

"This is ridiculous,” Tamika Francis told 11 News as she stood outside the Fiesta grocery store at Main and Kirby, where she had just been denied the right to vote.

“That’s not going to roll with me. Is it going to roll with you?” she asked her mom, who had traveled to the polling location with her.

The problem is that Francis was wearing a 2008 Obama election shirt. I

(visit the link for the full news article)

I've seen people going to the polls wearing shirts with party affiliations all the time around here. There is a certain point on the poll grounds that people can't give out flyers and campaign for a certain candidate, but then again, that's around here.

I can see why this made the news. It is a reminder to voters to be aware of what you wear when you go vote. It's my assumption that the Board of Elections enforce their rules differently with each geographical location.

To all voters: Good luck with your candidate of choice.

www.khou.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I call this a victory for the Republic. One less idiot able to cast their vote.

Seriously, anyone who still supports Obama has not been paying attention. This is almost as bad as the people who voted for Bush both times.

reply to post by PETROLCOIN


and who you support is any better?
second line

reply to post by Intelearthling


WOW this lady has alot to complain about. Atleast she's not being made to sit at the back of the bus! She thinks she's big stuff, lets see her stand up to 30 police and 50 white people with batons... SCHMUCk Take the shirt off wait don't do that just turn it inside out. You can't campaign in a voters taking place!!!! Bring a book in instead with obamas face then tell them your not campainging just reading a book don't be an a hole.

reply to post by danielhanson420


Yes, Ron Paul is better.

Any more questions?

like a shirt or button or some one with a card bord sign will change a persons vote?
and farther more if it does then just maybe that person needed to see.
talk about infringment of freedom a shirt with a poltition on it

reply to post by PETROLCOIN


You may call it a "victory for the Republic" I call it a "victory for the rules"

What political party she was associated has no effect here, what does is that she broke the rules by endorsing one.

Every Dick and Jane knows this, or at least they should if they are going to vote. I don't get how she didn't know this. Or rather, why she is causing a fuss about this it's the rules, the County Clerk pointed it out. Someone called the news over, my guess was it was her.

Originally posted by PETROLCOIN
I call this a victory for the Republic. One less idiot able to cast their vote.

Seriously, anyone who still supports Obama has not been paying attention. This is almost as bad as the people who voted for Bush both times.

She can still vote. They didn't ban her from the polls. All she has to do is turn the shirt inside-out, cover it up or change into another shirt that doesn't have a political message on it.

I can remember the days when it was customary to not to show a party affiliation and your privilege not to disclose your vote.

Today, people display it like a badge of honor.

It's painful to accept the fact that this morons vote counts just as much as mine, or for that matter, the vote of other educated, intelligent voters does.

Yet another shining example of the need for a basic knowledge test before one is allowed to cast a vote.

reply to post by BigTimeCheater


Ahhh be careful there....we had those kinds of laws at one point and there was a big hub ub about it.



But seriously....kinda agree with you...

reply to post by PETROLCOIN


you got me there
props

...from the article...
www.khou.com...

Texas Election code 85.036. The code, dating back to 1985, stipulates that “during the time of an early voting polling place is open for the conduct of early voting, a person may not electioneer for or against any candidate, measure, or political party in or within 100 feet of an outside door through which a voter may enter the building or structure in which the early voting polling place is located.”

...it was a poorly written code back in '85 and, i'm sure, that was intentional... it was NOT supposed to dictate a dress code for voters... as long as a voter is not in violation of obscenity laws, how a voter dresses is no one else's biz...

...what the code was SUPPOSED TO STOP was people who hung around to pass out literature and otherwise intrude on voters - and - those who were there to vote but wanted to harass other voters... many of the intrusive people were obnoxious, yelling at voters who ignored them - and - it was very common for the intrusive ones to be pushing an agenda that had nothing to do with the election at the time...

...what next?... voters will be turned away because they're wearing blue or red or green?...

Originally posted by BigTimeCheater
It's painful to accept the fact that this morons vote counts just as much as mine, or for that matter, the vote of other educated, intelligent voters does.

Yet another shining example of the need for a basic knowledge test before one is allowed to cast a vote.

It wouldn't hurt if the people voting had a knowledge of how goverment works. I second this motion.
I know driving is a privilege and not a right, but when applying for a drivers license, you take a knowledge test. The same should apply when submitting an application for voter registration.

Star to you.

I think it's kind of funny. Here in Indiana, I don't recall any such law. There are signs and people handing out pamphlets up to the door of the polling place. Heck, my precinct is in a church and not in a hallway or conference room, but the actual chapel.
I have a special shirt I wear while voting: Never Under Estimate the Power of Stupid People in Large Groups.
Every year it seems more apropos than the last.

Originally posted by PETROLCOIN
I call this a victory for the Republic. One less idiot able to cast their vote.

Seriously, anyone who still supports Obama has not been paying attention. This is almost as bad as the people who voted for Bush both times.

You sir, are the exact problem we have with this country.

You want people to vote-say that there is some type of "revolution" brewing, but then when an individual doesn't vote for the person you want, you decide they shouldn't have the right to vote and are an idiot.

This is the tea bagger philosphy-sounds an awful like the old days of only old white land owners being able to vote. If the above comment from PETROLCOIN doesn't scream FACISM to you, then you really need to get your political blinders checked.

Oh, and on another point, this goes both ways. In Flagstaff, AZ, a woman was forced to leave the polling places due to wearing a Tea Party shirt, so I think it's only fair the law is applied evenly in both cases.

(and please do not start on how the Tea Party is not an organized party, blah blah, the "Tea Party" is just the rebranding of extreme right-wing neo-Cons that are filling up the GOP these days, so it's just as political as a t-shirt that says "Change We Can Believe in".)

Originally posted by PETROLCOIN
reply to post by danielhanson420

 

Yes, Ron Paul is better.

Any more questions?

Yea, Ron Paul, global revolution, blah blah, fiat dollars, blah blah. Your pipedream of some type of libertarian crackhead government where the Department of Education and FDA are destroyed, social security is sent up the river and we stop all social services altogether will never work--as evidenced by the fact that Rep Paul got a grand total of less than 10% of all GOP Primary ballots in 2008--and it's not looking like he'll do much better in 2012, no matter what the Paultards tell you.

Apparently, it is okay to conduct campaign activities at a polling place, and that would mean wearing t-shirt endorsing President Barack Obama is okay? As a matter of fact, the First Lady Michelle Obama campaigned for a her husband's agenda when she voted early in Chicago, and is considered a violation of law restricting campaign speech at a polling place.

First Lady Michelle Obama accused of breaching law by campaining in polling station

Voter Dennis Campbell, 56, said: ‘She was telling me how important it was to vote to keep her husband's agenda going.’

According to observers, the conversation took place within the voting station, meaning a breach of the rules.

Illinois State law states: ‘No judge of election, pollwatcher, or other person shall, at any primary or election, do any electioneering or soliciting of votes or engage in any political discussion within any polling place or within 100 feet of any polling place.’

A spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections said it would not be taking any action against the First Lady and said she may have been simply ignorant of the law.

He said: ‘You kind of have to drop the standard for the First Lady, right?’

‘I mean, she's pretty well liked and probably doesn't know what she's doing.’

She was let off the hook, but she knew quite well what she was doing. They are claiming ignorance as the reason? I thought ignorance of law is no excuse? Perhaps, we make exceptions on a case by case scenario? We have to remember she is a Harvard educated attorney, and her husband is a Constitutional scholar. One would figure, she would know the law. It was a little electioneering Chicago style, and it was effort to influence the voters at that polling station. If the First Lady and do what she wants at a polling station, I don't see why they would restrict that woman from wearing 2008 Obama campaign t-shirt. Everything is okay, move along people. If an election happens to get tainted or manipulated by unwarranted influence and pressure, no problem.

Originally posted by Intelearthling

I've seen people going to the polls wearing shirts with party affiliations all the time around here. There is a certain point on the poll grounds that people can't give out flyers and campaign for a certain candidate, but then again, that's around here.

I can see why this made the news. It is a reminder to voters to be aware of what you wear when you go vote. It's my assumption that the Board of Elections enforce their rules differently with each geographical location.

To all voters: Good luck with your candidate of choice.

www.khou.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

edit on 22/10/10 by Intelearthling because: (no reason given)

In much of Texas, the rules seem to be only enforced when you wear Democrat items. I have seen numerous people also with Republican party buttons at polling places.