A New Mexico woman who went to cast her ballot early was stopped by an election official because of the shirt she was wearing.
Mary Sanchez was about to cast her ballot at the Four Hills Shopping Center in Albuquerque when she was confronted by a poll worker for wearing a Trump shirt, KRQE reported.
“The lady came up and asked if I would leave or turn my shirt inside out,” Sanchez said. “I asked her, ‘Are you serious?’ and she said, ‘Yes.’”
Sanchez left without voting that day.
According to a New Mexico statute, the reason Sanchez was turned away from the polls was because her Trump shirt falls under “electioneering” at a polling place.
“Electioneering includes the display or distribution of signs or campaign literature, campaign buttons, t-shirts, hats, pins or other such items and includes the verbal or electronic solicitation of votes for a candidate or question,” the statute says.
Under New Mexico law, breaking that law is a petty misdemeanor.
But Bernalillo County clerk spokesman Joey Keefe said he hasn’t heard of anyone getting arrested for wearing a shirt to the polls.
“If it’s something like a hat or button we just ask them to put it in their car,” Keefe said. “If it’s something like a t-shirt we ask them to go to a private place and turn it inside out so they don’t have to leave completely or if they have a jacket, to zip up the jacket.”
KRQE found that it’s against the law in 20 other states besides New Mexico to wear a campaign t-shirt to a polling place.
Sanchez eventually returned to the polls wearing a different shirt.
“I did end up voting this morning,” Sanchez said. “With a different shirt!”
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