Yesterday Etiquetteer saw a captioned photo on the internet of a woman in a voting booth wearing only a brassiere and a pair of slacks. (Etiquetteer is not going to amplify this photo here, but you may find it on Bluesky here.) The caption said that this woman appeared at her polling place dressed in gear promoting her candidate, which in many states is actually illegal (more on that later). When told she could not vote so dressed, she violently cursed the poll workers and then removed the gear in question so that she could vote.
Now, this being the internet, Etiquetteer has not been able to verify whether this actually happened as presented. But Etiquetteer did discover that in 2020 a similar incident took place in New Hampshire — only without the bra! (Read Etiquetteer’s comments on that news story here.)
While Someone Prominent described the first woman as “a patriot” for stripping down to vote, Etiquetteer would respectfully suggest that it’s actually more patriotic to know the rules in advance. So, just what is and isn’t Perfectly Proper at the polls? Here are a few general guidelines; it’s your responsibility to research specifics for your state, because laws vary state by state.
First, and most important, do not abuse the poll workers. This means no profanity, no threats, no physical violence. Etiquetteer should not even have to say this. A great deal has already been said about voters being removed from the rolls in some states. If you arrive at the polls to be told that your name does not appear, shocking as that may be, that is still not an invitation to abuse the poll workers. Voters are entitled to provisional ballots; the ACLU provides instructions for what to do if this happens to you.
Do not wear anything advocating for (or against) a candidate, party, or position. This is defined as electioneering, which is when people “campaign to influence or persuade voters to vote for or against a particular candidate or party” according to Findlaw. Polling places are intended to be entirely free of campaign materials, and that includes clothing. This does not mean you can’t show your enthusiasm with your wardrobe. Dress in red, white, and blue, and wear your American flag pin. (Remember, no more than one lapel pin at a time!)
Respect the perimeter. Electioneering, which could be as simple as standing silently with a sign or distributing literature, is not permitted within a certain distance of the entrance of the polling place, in order to keep it a neutral environment. Generally it’s 100 feet.
Laws about photography in polling places vary from state to state, too, particularly around “ballot selfies,” photographs of one’s actual ballot then posted to social media. Some states, including New Hampshire, have passed specific laws against this. (More on this topic may be found at the National Conference on State Legislatures.) To discourage this, many states instead encourage photos of one’s “I Voted” sticker. Regardless, Etiquetteer would encourage you not to disrupt your polling place with your selfies, either by lingering too long in the voting booth or blocking the entrance while you take selfies.
Findlaw has a very helpful page on electioneering laws and election interference with specifics by state. Please review it now.
Whenever you vote, before or on Election Day, Etiquetteer wishes you a calm and smooth exercise of your rights without interference or intimidation.