Law prohibits the wearing of political-advocacy apparel in voting centers

Electioneering is prohibited 100 feet from the door of every voting center in Arkansas and this includes wearing campaign shirts, hats, or any other apparel with images or words that advocate for or against a candidate.

Arkansas law defines electioneering as the “display of, or audible dissemination of, information that advocates for or against any candidate, issue, or measure on a ballot.

It includes distributing campaign literature or literature regarding a candidate, issue or measure on the ballot; soliciting signatures on any petition; soliciting contributions; displaying a candidates name, likeness or logo; displaying a ballot measure’s number, title, subject or logo; displaying or dissemination of buttons, hats, pencils, pens, shirts, signs or stickers containing electioneering information; and disseminating audible electioneering information.

“Those who enter a site with this attire (shirts or hats displaying the name or likeness of a candidate or campaigning for any candidate) on are asked to remove the item or cover it up while they vote. If they refuse, they are reminded of the rules posted on our boards of the regulations and that refusal to adhere to electioneering policies could result in a misdemeanor,” said Manda Cravey, Sebastian County Election Coordinator.

Violation of electioneering laws is, at the minimum, a Class A misdemeanor offense punishable by fine or confinement, according to Arkansas statute.

If a person wears a hat or shirt promoting a candidate into a polling site and continues to refuse to remove it or cover it after being asked to do so and told of the law, their name and a photo are taken. It is then reported to the Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners (SBEC), Cravey said, noting the SBEC takes it from there.

“We are not allowed to refuse their right to vote, so we escort them through the process as quickly and as less disruptive as possible,” she said.

Early voting in Arkansas began Oct. 21. Two instances have been reported from Sebastian County to the SBEC since then, Cravey said.