Heading Out to Vote? Don’t Forget the Dress Code
Apparently there's a dress code for when you go vote.
KENS5 reports that a woman wearing a Black Lives Matter mask was asked to take the mask off, or turn it around, before she could cast her vote.
Mary Thomas was wearing the BLM mask when she went to cast her vote at her polling place in Waco. Thomas said she was asked by a poll worker to remove the mask or to wear it turned around before she could vote. According to Thomas,
"She said, 'No. You've got to either take it off or turn it around to where you can't see the letters. And I said well I checked the rules before I got here and I'm allowed to wear this because I'm not campaigning."
So, this raises the question, is there a dress code for when you go to vote? The Texas Secretary of State's office says it's up to the local election officials. According to McLennan County elections administrator, Kathy Von Wolfe,
"If it says vote for me or vote for this candidate, or vote for or against an issue, or if it has a political party's name on it, or if it has a candidate's name on it then that is considered electioneering,"
Mary Thomas wasn't wearing anything that fits in that description so according to Van Wolfe, wearing a Black Life's Matter facemask does not fall under electioneering.
So, there is a dress code when you go to vote but as long as it's not considered "campaigning" for or against a candidate or issue, you should be good to go. Good to know.