Election Day do's and don'ts: What you can and can't do at the polls
13
NEW YORK (PIX11) – It's Election Day, and voters across New York are making their way to the polls on Tuesday.
There are some rules you may want to keep in mind, though, before heading out to cast your vote. Can you take a picture of your ballot? Or can you take a selfie at a polling site after you've cast your vote?
Here are some do's and don'ts you should know:
Do's
- You can wear apparel that includes general political viewpoints – unless the issue is on the ballot. Wearing something that supports marriage equality, the 2nd Amendment, or the Make America Great Again slogan won't get you in trouble, according to Kathleen McGrath, the director of public information for the New York State Board of Elections.
- You can take a photo at a polling site or with a blank ballot – except if you're in New York City, which has a regulation that doesn't allow photos at polling sites, McGrath said.
- You can make calls or texts as long as you're not being disruptive or invading the privacy of other voters or poll workers.
- You can have someone who provides assistance enter the voting booth with you. That includes asking a poll worker for help, according to NYC Votes. Children also can accompany parents into a booth, according to McGrath.
Don'ts
- You can't wear anything that encourages people to vote a certain way, as it violates the state's anti-electioneering law, McGrath said. You wouldn't be able to wear anything that supports or is against Proposition 1. Anyone seen wearing apparel that constitutes electioneering could be asked to take it off or, in the case of a shirt, turn it inside out.
- You can't electioneer within 100 feet of a polling site. Electioneering, from the New York City Basic Poll Worker Manual, is "efforts to encourage voters to vote a certain way and includes distributing, wearing or carrying political literature, posters, banners or buttons or soliciting votes."
- You can't take a photo of or with your completed ballot.
- You can't remove a ballot from a polling site before the polls close.
- You can't open the door or enter a voting booth occupied by another voter.
For more information on voting in New York, you can check out the BOE's Frequently Asked Questions page.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.