Don't Wear Your Obama T-shirt to the Polls

With less than a week left to register to vote in the general election for most area voters (the deadline in the District and Virginia is Oct. 6; Maryland is Oct. 14), the DC Board of Elections of Ethics released a reminder yesterday that electioneering laws apply to enthusiastic voters as well as campaign volunteers. It might seem obvious to most of you, but apparently some voters are confused on the issue:

D.C. Municipal Regulations sections 708.4, 708.5 and 708.8 cover restrictions on “political activity” within 50 feet of the entrance of a building used for voting. Section 708.8 clearly states that “the term ‘political activity’ shall include without limitation, any activity intended to persuade a person to vote for or against any candidate or measure...”

This means that if a voter is showing an outward sign of support for a candidate (i.e. wearing hats, buttons, t-shirts, etc.) the voter will be asked to remove or cover the article before entering the polling place.

There's very little time left to register to vote in the District, in Virginia or in Maryland.