Nancy's Bracelet Tactics ILLEGAL

[BSU kid]

Thought I would give this a separate thread:

MICHIGAN ELECTION LAW (EXCERPT)
Act 116 of 1954

168.931 Prohibited conduct; violation as misdemeanor; “valuable consideration” defined.
Sec. 931.

(k) A person shall not, while the polls are open on an election day, solicit votes in a polling place or within 100 feet from an entrance to the building in which a polling place is located.

"Michigan has prohibited the practice of displaying election-related materials at the polls for decades. This includes clothing and buttons as well as materials such as pamphlets, fliers and stickers. You cannot display such items in the polling place or within 100 feet of an entrance to a polling place. If you go to the polls with a shirt or button bearing election-related images or slogans, you will be asked to cover or remove it."
_________________________________________________

Nancy's plan calls for:

Her campaign said Wednesday it will hand out bracelets with her name on it to help supporters spell her name. "Are we going to be able to cover every precinct location? That's the goal, but I'm not going to know that till Tuesday morning," said Cassis' spokesman, David Mroz.

This implies she will be at percents handing these out which is illegal.

http://tinyurl.com/br839qt

 

[angelatc]

As much as I hate to say it, It's only illegal 100 feet from the entrance to the building. Our precinct usually has people with signs, petitions, etc outside. There's a line they can't cross.

 

[erowe1]

As much as I hate to say it, It's only illegal 100 feet from the entrance to the building. Our precinct usually has people with signs, petitions, etc outside. There's a line they can't cross.

Yep. Her people will be outside that 100' line. Hopefully Bentivolio's will be there too. If they get too close, then one of the election personnel will just tell them to move farther away and that will be that.

If the bracelets are legible to people other than those wearing them, then the voters may be asked to take their bracelets off on the grounds that wearing them is a form of electioneering. But again, if that happens, it won't have much of an effect on anything. They'll still be able to look at the bracelets in the voting booth to check the spelling.

 

[angelatc]

Yep. Her people will be outside that 100' line. Hopefully Bentivolio's will be there too. .

Passing out bracelets.

 

[BSU kid]

100 feet seems like it awfully far away though. Like at the edge of a parking lot or something? Would anyone even go out there for a bracelet?

 

[erowe1]

100 feet seems like it awfully far away though. Like at the edge of a parking lot or something? Would anyone even go out there for a bracelet?

They'll generally be in the traffic area between parking and the entrance to the building. Some polling places will be more amenable to that than others. 100' does seem like a lot. I'm pretty sure the rule is less than that in my state.

 

[angelatc]

100 feet seems like it awfully far away though. Like at the edge of a parking lot or something? Would anyone even go out there for a bracelet?

Well again, I'm only familiar with my precinct, but the 100 foot line is between the parking lot and the entrance to the school. Most people have to traverse that to get into the building.

 

[BSU kid]

Well again, I'm only familiar with my precinct, but the 100 foot line is between the parking lot and the entrance to the school. Most people have to traverse that to get into the building.

Oh well that sucks, her little followers can just sit there and hand out vote for nancy bracelets....eww. So much for catching Nancy doing something illegal, but she is still a snake in my book.

 

[sailingaway]

As much as I hate to say it, It's only illegal 100 feet from the entrance to the building. Our precinct usually has people with signs, petitions, etc outside. There's a line they can't cross.

Our guys have been told they couldn't wear t shirts into polling places, are they allowed to wear the bracelets?

 

[erowe1]

Our guys have been told they couldn't wear t shirts into polling places, are they allowed to wear the bracelets?

It's not just our guys. When I've worked polls we didn't let people wear any visible political clothing or pins for any candidates.

For these bracelets it might depend on if anybody can actually see what's on them. But if they do apply the rule, all that will mean is that the voters will have to take off their bracelets. That's all.

 

[BSU kid]

Our guys have been told they couldn't wear t shirts into polling places, are they allowed to wear the bracelets?

http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-29836-202488--F,00.html

Can I wear election-related clothing to the polls?

Answer:
Michigan has prohibited the practice of displaying election-related materials at the polls for decades. This includes clothing and buttons as well as materials such as pamphlets, fliers and stickers. You cannot display such items in the polling place or within 100 feet of an entrance to a polling place. If you go to the polls with a shirt or button bearing election-related images or slogans, you will be asked to cover or remove it.

Further Information Can be found at:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/sos/Managing_Your_Precinct_on_Election_Day_391790_7.pdf
11th page down prohibits campaign materials like "write in stickers"

This won't stop Nancy though.

 

[erowe1]

If you go to the polls with a shirt or button bearing election-related images or slogans, you will be asked to cover or remove it.


This won't stop Nancy though.

Of course it won't stop her, because like that answer says, the most that will happen is that people will be asked to cover or remove their bracelets.

 

[EBounding]

I'm not worried about this. If you're a voter just going in and have no idea who you're going to vote for, you're not going to be convinced to write someone in just because they gave you a bracelet.

I'm more worried about Nancy getting more supporters before they go to vote.

 

[sailingaway]

http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-29836-202488--F,00.html

Can I wear election-related clothing to the polls?

Answer:
Michigan has prohibited the practice of displaying election-related materials at the polls for decades. This includes clothing and buttons as well as materials such as pamphlets, fliers and stickers. You cannot display such items in the polling place or within 100 feet of an entrance to a polling place. If you go to the polls with a shirt or button bearing election-related images or slogans, you will be asked to cover or remove it.

Further Information Can be found at:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/sos/Managing_Your_Precinct_on_Election_Day_391790_7.pdf
11th page down prohibits campaign materials like "write in stickers"

This won't stop Nancy though.

it should still be put into comment sections talking about the tactic imho

 

[sailingaway]

Of course it won't stop her, because like that answer says, the most that will happen is that people will be asked to cover or remove their bracelets.

Maybe Kerry should hand out bracelets too. Some people just like bracelets....

which is why it DOES smack of bribery, if in a small way.

I thought the same thing when my Congressman sent me a pot holder. It is a crappy pot holder, but I still thought: 'WTF?'

 

[erowe1]

I'm not worried about this. If you're a voter just going in and have no idea who you're going to vote for, you're not going to be convinced to write someone in just because they gave you a bracelet.

I'm more worried about Nancy getting more supporters before they go to vote.

Every method of campaigning and GOTV is slow going. No matter what you're talking about, the payoff is something in the range of 1 vote won for every man-hour of labor spent.

But that said, of the tactics out there, my understanding is that having people at polling places is one of the better ones. Tons of people go to the polls undecided on at least some of the races, and these people are susceptible to influence if they see a physical person who's serious enough about a given candidate to stand out at the polls for them.