GOP seeks ban on political clothing at polling places - By voters in PA

[RamboLiberal]

HARRISBURG - If top state Republicans get their way, you can forget about wearing that Obama T-shirt when you step up to cast your vote Nov. 4.

Palin pins will be off limits, too.

It's called "passive electioneering" and GOP officials today called on the Rendell administration to enforce a little-known, decades-old law they say bans such things.

"We strongly believe Pennsylvanians should be able to look to the polling place as a safe harbor, free of any type of electioneering, without any outside influences," Robert Gleason, chairman of the state Republican Party, said at a Capitol news conference.

In past years, some local election officials across Pennsylvania - but not in Philadelphia - have enforced the provision, going as far as asking voters to turn their T-shirts inside out.

But this year, the Rendell administration has softened its stance on the issue.

The ACLU and the League of Women Voters last month asked the Pennsylvania Department of State to weigh in on the topic, believing that preventing voters from wearing T-shirts with a candidate's name on it infringes on their freedom of speech.

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080918_GOP_seeks_ban_on_political_clothing_at_polling_places.html