Posted on 11/09/2004 9:07:07 AM PST by NYer
JEFFERSON, La. --
She'd already signed the precinct register when an election worker said her Bush-Cheney T-shirt amounted to illegal electioneering. So Debbie Dupeire pulled it off.
Dupeire, who voted in a sports bra, exercise pants and flip-flops, said she was afraid she would lose her chance to vote if she left to turn her shirt inside-out: the elections workers might not remember her, or might be away on break when she returned.
"I really thought it was OK to wear my shirt. I didn't go there to cause trouble," said Debbie Dupeire, a 38-year-old makeup artist from Jefferson who said she always votes.
Under state law, candidates' names cannot be displayed within 500 feet of a polling place.
Jefferson Parish Registrar of Voters Dennis DiMarco said he wished someone had seen Dupeire's shirt as soon as she came in, and told her then.
Veteran poll commissioner Dorothy Angelico - one of two female commissioners who broke the news to Dupeire - said the T-shirt wasn't spotted sooner because she and other commissioners were overwhelmed by the number of voters in the crowded space they share with two other precincts.
"I'm 80 years old ... and I've never seen anything like it," Angelico said Friday, still chuckling about Dupeire's quick decision to get down to basics and vote. "It happened so fast, I don't think my husband and the other male commissioner even saw it happen."
Dupeire said she understood the request and is not angry, but thinks Jefferson Parish may need more poll workers.
"I'd been in line wearing the shirt for 15 minutes, and no one said anything until I was about to vote," said Dupeire. "Had they told me before I signed the book, I would have gone out and turned my shirt wrong-side out.
"But I wasn't going to leave after signing because I would have had no proof that I hadn't voted. I just did the fastest thing I could do to vote."
... 'ya go Girl!
In the spirit of the Broken Glass Republicans! Atta-girl, Deb!
Lawsuits would be flying as fast as they could print them.
Plus based on what the typical liberal women looks like, we'll probably have to counter sue for being too offensive when she took off her shirt.
Yeah, the flip-flops should be prohibited as electioneering for Kerry.
Wanna bet?
Who ever said Republicans were shy!
lol
Now that's a dedicated voter.
Can you see them trying to do that? . . . "No, Ma'am, you can't wear your flip-flops in here because that's making a political statement," lol!
She's from Louisiana. Did she get any beads?
:-)
I've heard reports that many precincts around the country only enforced the ban on campaign T-shirts/buttons/other items among Republican voters. A good friend of mine (an African-American woman, and a rabid Bush supporter) reported seeing several black voters in line at her polling place wearing Kerry buttons, and one guy was wearing a Kerry hat. The precinct workers made no effort to tell them to remove those items, despite the fact that Ohio has the same prohibition on displaying campaign items inside a polling place. Of course, the area my friend votes in is heavily Democratic, in a county Kerry carried by 1% (Montgomery County, Ohio).
Back in the mid 80s in the crush of Mardi Gras men would sometimes yell at pretty girls "Show us your t*ts!" Many would briefly pull their top up or off. Police began to arrest women for complying with the taunt. I've been away from the gulf coast for many years now and don't know what the current practice and policy are.
Until now I had never considered being a poll worker...
After seeing her pic I know I'd probably let her vote naked if I were a poll watcher. (Rhino-legs Hitlery and Cellulite Edwards should be made to wear Taliban style burkas)
LOL.
When you ask the question now, the lady cops will show you their, uh, well, you know.
I took two waffles wrapped in aluminum foil, because with the lines I expected, I didn't know if I would be able to feed my kids on time. Hey, dang it, I forgot and left them on the table near the voting booths! Shoot!
Six to one the bomb squad took them to a remote site and detonated them. Hoo boy, are you in trouble!
LOL Show the boys!
Why we are still bringing these issues up again? We won and we will prevail again in 2008.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.