Supreme Court strikes down Minnesota’s voter clothing law
Posted June 14, 2018 7:17 am.
Last Updated June 14, 2018 8:00 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court has struck down a Minnesota law that restricted what voters can wear to polls.
The justices ruled Thursday that the law violates the First Amendment. Still, the justices’ 7-2 ruling suggested that some restrictions on what people can wear to vote are permissible.
Most states have laws restricting what voters can wear to cast their ballots, but Minnesota’s law is one of the broadest. It bars voters from casting a ballot wearing clothing with the name of a candidate or political party or related to an issue on the ballot. Minnesota voters also can’t wear clothing promoting a group with recognizable political views.
The state had defended its law as a reasonable restriction that keeps order at polling places and prevents voter intimidation.
