Dallas Cowboys Gear Banned at Polling Places
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James Joyner | Tuesday, October 19, 2004 |
Big star barred: Cowboys gear banned at polls (ESPN)
A warning to Dallas Cowboys fans who plan to vote in the North Texas city of Arlington: Leave your team colors at home. The Cowboys may be known as “America’s Team,” but polling places are no place for fan gear, election officials say — at least not this year. Elections administrator Robert Parten said Monday that voters sporting Cowboys logos at Arlington polling sites will be told to cover up their allegiance to the team if they want to cast ballots. He said he ordered the prohibition because of a provision on the Arlington ballot that asks whether taxpayers should help pay for a $650 million Cowboys stadium in their city. “Anytime you go into a polling place and what you’re wearing shows something that’s on the ballot, that’s electioneering,” Gayle Hamilton, assistant elections administrator for Tarrant County, said.
State law prohibits voters at the polls with clothing, jewelry or badges that promote or denounce a candidate or proposition on a ballot. Parten said in an election year, the big blue star that’s a fixture at Texas Stadium may also be considered a political statement in favor of the proposition. For those who don’t obey the prohibition, election officials have ordered smocks like those worn in hospital exam rooms that Arlington residents can wear to cover their Cowboys paraphernalia in the voting booth. “We’ll let them wear them to vote so they can be on their way,” said Hamilton. “Hopefully, we won’t have to use many of them, but we want to be prepared.”
Gowns will be distributed to early voting locations by Wednesday, she said. Parten said the smocks will also be distributed throughout the rest of Tarrant County for voters whose attire bears other types of political messages or symbols, such as donkeys or elephants.
Of course, if they don’t play any better than they have the last two weeks, no one will want to be seen in Cowboys gear anyway.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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I usually wear my Packer stuff, when I go to vote, or when I go anywhere else other than work. Since I live in the Detroit area it usually goes over real well.
Some of us remain fans despite the quality of play, James.
A Cowboys fan of 44 years (yes, since Day One) doesn't change his stripes over a few bad games — or even a few bad seasons.
Or even a bad owner.
Thankfully I started Garcia this weekend instead of Vinny but I still lost because of Archuleta's fumble recovery and run for a TD last night.
All I can say is GO STEELERS!!
Seriously. That was an awesome game last Sunday, from either perspective - down to the last play.
Because the Cowboys are one of the few teams I hate with a passion, I can live with this. Now supressing STEELERS gear, that's another matter.
Why hate the Cowboys with a passion? Well, they dealt us our only Super Bowl loss - can't quite forgive them for that. We've met them in the big game more times than any other team, and I want to be 5-0 in Super Bowls, but nope.
Anyway, yeah.
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