A poll monitor in Kansas City told a man that he couldn’t wear his “Make America Great Again” hat while he was voting and was instructed to remove it.
The man became irritated at the suggestion, started acting out, and began recording the poll workers. He was eventually escorted away from the location by police.
According to Missouri law, wearing political apparel within 25 feet of the building’s outer door to the polling area. – tantamount to electioneering – is a misdemeanor.
The reality, however, is that he was free to wear the hat because it had no bearing on the primary election he was voting in.
Election worker tells man can’t vote wearing MAGA hat… https://t.co/CcrCkhAhgv
— DRUDGE REPORT (@DRUDGE_REPORT) August 9, 2018
The incident may have been a simple misunderstanding of election law, but it certainly ranks as something that should have been known by an election worker, volunteer or otherwise.
A spokeswoman for the Secretary of State concurs.
“The determination of the county election official is laid out clearly in state law,” she said.
After the Secretary of State’s office had been contacted by the disgruntled voter, the Election Board called him back so he could return and cast his vote.
Tiffany Ellison, a Democrat director with the Clay County Election Board, told the Kansas City Star “(The Clay County Election Board) called him to let him know he could go back up there. He thanked us and apologized for his behavior.”
There was an incident at the polling place in Northland Cathedral on Oak in Kansas City, Mo. A slightly inebriated, belligerent man wearing a red hat was asked to remove his political hat and refused and started film the voters. When told to stop, he argued with the officials.
— A Gar (@OkChocta) August 7, 2018
This man would have been better off showing up without ID. He likely would have been embraced rather than dragged away by police officers.
Electioneering is apparently only a problem when a Republican engages in it.
In November of 2016, supporters of Hillary Clinton were spotted at a precinct in Philadelphia handing out materials to voters as they entered the doorway which was plastered with Clinton-Kaine signs.
Philly Union Workers Intimidate Republicans, Illegal Electioneering All Over Poll pic.twitter.com/oqa5dGcg20
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) November 8, 2016
Clinton herself was accused of violating the rules when she “blatantly campaigned” at a North Carolina polling place.
During the 2014 midterms, Philadelphia also saw hundreds of complaints involving voters being intimidated by being “hit with a barrage of materials, sample ballots and t-shirt clad advocates.”
But that’s totally fine. It’s the MAGA hats we simply can’t have at polling locations.
