State Board of Elections imposing Election Day dress code

By Lindsey Ward

Published: October 14, 2008

When choosing your next president you can’t wear candidate buttons, shirts, hats or any other paraphernalia.
   
So that Palin power t-shirt you just bought or the Obama shirt you got at his rally has to stay in the drawer on November 4th.
 
The State Board of Elections is trying to prevent passive electioneering inside and outside the polls.
 
The decision made Tuesday only gives 21 days for both campaigns to get the word out.

“I’ll tell my parents, my friends, tell them to tell their parents, I go to a fairly big church, so I’ll tell all the people I can,” said Julianna Keaton, a McCain Volunteer.

“I’ll definitely tell everybody I know, I don’t want anyone turned away, I don’t know how many would go home, change and come back,” Vickie Pruitt said, an Obama Volunteer.

The ACLU, American Civil Liberties Union, immediately responded to the decision, asking the board to loosen the clothing restriction.  They say it might be challenged in court, because it prohibits voters of expressing themselves.
   
We hit the streets to find out what people think.
“If somebody hasn’t made up their mind who they’re going to vote for they may see that, they may talk to the person and the person may convince them,” said James Wise, a voter.
“If they haven’t made their minds up before and to see a button and change their mind on who they’re going to vote for, they shouldn’t be voting in the first place,” said voter, Bob Zelko.
   
Virginia isn’t the first state to impose a voter dress code
   
According to an article in the Thurgood Marshall Law Review eight other states have done the same.
   
Now it’s just a matter of telling the millions of registered voters in Virginia to leave the campaign wardrobe at home.