Polling places are community hubs. Within their walls, citizens of all stripes can safely and freely exercise their right to vote in a shared civic space. Nebraska law requires them to be free of campaign and candidate paraphernalia to keep these places welcoming and politically neutral – including signs and the shirts on voters’ backs.
Nebraska law prohibits placing political signs within 200 feet of a polling place or ballot dropbox. It also prohibits wearing clothing with messaging for or against a candidate, ballot issue, or political party in these spaces. Doing so is called electioneering — deliberate, visible advocacy for or against a candidate or political party in spaces where it is prohibited. In Nebraska, electioneering is a Class V misdemeanor and a penalty of up to $100.
This means keeping your “Blue Dot” shirt or “MAGA” hat at home when voting in person. According to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office, these items are considered to support a party or a particular candidate.
Suppose you show up to vote in these or other campaign-specific duds. In that case, you will be asked to turn your shirt inside out or leave it outside (this includes any of the initiatives on the ballot this year, such as the dueling abortion initiatives, a pair of initiatives establishing a medical marijuana industry in Nebraska, an initiative requiring employers to offer a limited amount of paid sick leave, and a referendum to repeal the use of public funds for private school scholarships).
Our advice? Wear nonpartisan gear—that “USA” shirt you wore on Independence Day will do! And, of course, proudly displaying your “I Voted” sticker after you vote is the coolest way to show your Election Day spirit safely and appropriately.
Learn more about electioneering at our Election FAQs page.
– Quinn Knispel
