Expert reveals how your outfit could prevent you from voting in the 2024 presidential election

With election day rapidly approaching on ⁦Tuesday, November 5, 2024⁩, people have been planning their outfits and sharing what they’re wearing on social media.

However, some don’t realize their outfit could actually prevent them from voting once they reach a polling place.

Earlier in October, a TikTok influencer named Hope who makes videos as The Hopeful Creator, shared a clip where she explained, ‘You can’t wear whatever you want when you go vote.’

Hope revealed you have to be cautious about wearing political attire ‘especially if you’re from California, Delaware, Kansas, Montana, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, or Vermont.’

The content creator said that in those states you can’t wear anything that endorses a specific candidate and while there are similar rules in other states, those are the strictest.

Hope shared the rules could include a sticker, hat, or pin, so voters have to be mindful about what they wear on election day.

She decided to start a trend where creators and their followers show off what they’re planning on wearing to vote – she’s donning a blue hoodie that says ‘It’s cool to be kind,’ and said, ‘I think that gets the point across.’

Hope’s followers flocked to her comments section to weigh in with their own outfits.

They’re not the only ones getting in on the political fashion action by wearing ensembles that subtly suggest who they’re voting for.

‘Chucks and pearls and probably a blue shirt, blue jeans, blue socks… Tennessee here,’ one follower responded, which was a popular option as the Vice President is famous for her penchant for wearing Converse sneakers – and even once wore them on the cover of Vogue.

‘I have a blue Taylor Swift Eras sweatshirt. I think that should do it,’ another commenter said, as the pop star famously endorsed Kamala Harris in September with a lengthy Instagram post just moments after the first and only presidential debate.

In fact, there’s an entire contingency of Swifties who are planning their pop star-themed outfits in advance, with many planning on wearing her blue Midnights-themed cardigan to the polls.

One woman said she previously voted in a Handmaid’s Tale costume in 2016 and 2020, when Trump ran, and was planning on wearing it again.

Other women said they planned on wearing cat lady shirts after J.D. Vance’s contentious ‘childless cat lady’ comments.

Many states have restrictions about whether you can wear political outfits when you vote, so it’s best to check your own state before donning that red or camouflage cap when you head to the polls – although you can always leave it in the car.

The Democracy Docket website has a section outlining the 21 states where your attire could prevent you from casting your vote.

Rules include prohibiting people from displaying anything that endorses a political party, candidate name, or ballot issue, which in some cases isn’t allowed within 50 to 100 feet of the entrance of the voting site.