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See map of states that have banned campaign clothing

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Election Day is Tuesday, November 5th, and if you go to the polls, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

Voting is exciting, and people may want to show their support for the candidate they support by wearing a button with their name on it or even a t-shirt or hat while voting. However, they may be asked to change their clothing or remove their hats or buttons before entering the polling station, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

This could affect anyone depending on where they live.

Why can't I wear a political shirt to vote?

Wearing campaign clothing may seem as innocent as a Swifty wearing a shirt with the pop star's face or a button with the lyrics to “Cruel Summer,” but it's not that simple.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, wearing campaign merchandise is considered electioneering when people try to convince others to vote for a particular party or issue.

According to NCSL, wearing campaign clothing is banned in 21 states.

What is campaign clothing?

Campaign clothing can be:

  • Clothing – such as shirts, pants, dresses or other clothing items
  • Hats
  • Buttons
  • Stickers
  • Posters

What happens if you accidentally wear a candidate's merchandise to the polls?

It depends on. Louisiana, which is not on the NCSL list of states that ban clothing, is still asking people not to wear campaign items.

Voters there are not allowed to wear campaign clothing within 600 feet of polling places, Joel Watson, Lousianna's assistant secretary of state for communications, told USA TODAY.

Anyone who shows up at a polling place in Louisiana wearing a button-up, hat, shirt or other campaign clothing “will be asked to either turn the shirt inside out and remove the button.” [and] put it back in your car. “Same thing with the hat,” Watson said. “If they refused, they would be asked to leave.”

But asking people to leave is a worst-case scenario.

“We want to give people the opportunity to vote,” he said. “So we simply asked them to remove those specific items before returning to the polling station.”

What can you wear?

Watson recommends avoiding the following:

  • Candidate's name
  • The candidate’s slogan – like former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” or Vice President Harris’ “When We Fight, We Win.”
  • Clothing that expresses support or opposition to a change on the ballot – for example, a button that says “Vote Yes on 4”

“If it’s not electioneering, then it’s allowed,” Watson said.

Which states don't allow it?

This data comes from the National Conference of State Legislatures. The states highlighted in yellow and marked “yes” are states where it is completely banned. The states marked blue and marked “no” are states where it is not banned, although like Louisiana, the rules can still vary. So double check before you go to vote.

Violence over campaign clothing

The ban on campaign merchandise is not new. Still, a voter in Texas attacked a 69-year-old poll worker who told him he couldn't wear a red “Make America Great Again” hat to the polls because it was against the law, according to previous reporting by USA TODAY .

Jesse Lutzenberger, 63, was arrested Oct. 24 after throwing “multiple punches directly into the victim's face,” Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said at a news conference the day after the incident.

The employee worked at a polling place in Bexar County, Texas, which includes San Antonio.

In Texas, wearing a hat such as a MAGA or Harris Walz baseball cap is considered campaigning, which is not permitted within 100 feet of the polling place entrance, according to the NCSL.

Lutzenberger was charged with injury to an elderly person and faces a third-degree felony.

Featuring: Thao Nguyen; USA TODAY

Julia is a trends reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect with her LinkedInkeep following her X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram And TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at [email protected]

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