As you head out to vote in NC, here’s what you can and can’t bring to the polls

Voter intimidation and coercion are illegal at North Carolina polling places. Does that mean that when you go to vote you can’t wear a T-shirt with the name of your favorite candidate?

It depends.

In North Carolina voters can wear campaign merchandise, including T-shirts, to the polls as long as they vote in an orderly manner and are not electioneering inside the polling place.

Electioneering is the act of trying to get people to vote for your preferred candidate, which is where your T-shirt or button might cross the line.

According to the Wake County Board of Elections, voters who wear political shirts, hats, buttons, etc. will be allowed to vote as long as that apparel doesn’t directly call to action with slogans such as “Vote for xyz.”

Putting shirts with a call to action where other voters can see them is considered electioneering, the same as verbally telling voters to vote for a certain candidate. Neither is allowed.

But simply wearing a political shirt, such as “Biden-Harris 2020” or “Trump-Pence 2020,” while you go cast your vote in “an orderly and timely manner” is fine, according to the Wake board.

The last thing voters want is to be turned away once they’ve taken the time and trouble to vote. Here are answers to other questions about what to expect at the polls.

Do I have to wear a mask?

You are not required to wear a mask to the polls, but the State Board of Elections advises that you do to be considerate to poll workers and fellow voters.

All polling locations in North Carolina will have free masks available for use if you don’t bring one.

Do I need to bring a pen?

No, you are not required to bring a pen.

To keep people safe during the pandemic, the State Board of Elections says it is “providing single-use pens in counties that use hand-marked paper ballots, and a cotton swab or disposable stylus for voters who use ballot-marking devices.”

Other safety precautions include:

• Providing free hand sanitizer for voters that don’t have any
• Providing gloves and face shields for poll workers
• Putting barriers at check-in tables between election workers and voters

Can I bring a smartphone or paper notes?

Yes, the State Board of Elections says you are allowed to bring your phone while voting.

With that said, you are not allowed to use that phone to communicate in any way while voting (text, voice, email, etc.) because of the limits on voter assistance.

You also are not allowed to use the phone to take any photos or videos of the ballot, which is illegal under state law.

As for notes, you are allowed to bring them into the voting booth. You’re also allowed to bring voting guides and other reference materials.

You can use electronic devices like your smartphone to access candidate information in the booth, as long as you don’t use the device to communicate in any way.

Do I need to bring an ID?

No, North Carolina does not require voters to bring a driver’s license or other ID to the polls to vote in the 2020 election.

Can I bring my child with me?

Yes, in North Carolina voters are allowed to bring their children to the polls. “We wish to encourage kids to be part of the process from an early age,” says Patrick Gannon, spokesman for the State Board of Elections.

Can I bring food or a drink?

Bringing food and drink near your polling location is allowed, but whether it is allowed inside a polling place will vary from site to site. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, elections officials are urging people to leave their ice tea or chips in the car or at home.

“For this election, we would strongly discourage voters from bringing food or drink inside the voting place,” Gannon said. “We want every voter to wear a mask, and if you are eating or drinking, you probably aren’t wearing a mask.”

Gannon says there’s also a possibility of a voter spilling something and destroying records, laptops, voting equipment or their ballot.

Can I bring a gun to the polls?

In North Carolina, there are no laws prohibiting people from carrying guns around or in polling places. That is unless your polling place is in a building that bans them.

If you’re voting at a place that typically prohibits guns on the property, such as schools and churches, you are not allowed to bring a gun into that polling location.

Even at polling places that don’t expressly prohibit guns, voters may be asked not to carry one openly by the polling place manager if it could be considered intimidating to other voters.

This story was originally published October 28, 2020 at 9:25 AM.