An election official said Monday after a polling worker in Memphis, Tennessee, fired early voters wearing “Black Lives Matter” and “I Kent Breath” shirts. Shelby County Election Commission spokeswoman Suzanne Thompson said the worker was fired Friday after receiving a phone call from a witness at the Dave Wells Community Center in Memphis.
Tennessee law does not allow voters to wear items bearing the name of a candidate or political party at a polling station. But state law does not prohibit statements such as “Black Lives Matter”.
Voters who were told to leave were not immediately known, but Thompson said there were only a few. The poll worker thought the statements were linked to the Democratic Party, the poll said.
“It was too bad,” he said. “They weren’t supposed to turn around.”
Election administrator Linda Phillips told CBS-affiliated WREG-TV that the fired poll worker was repeatedly informed of what the rules were.
“They were given very clear instructions. The very next day they were given clear instructions, and again they didn’t pay attention. So it was canceled,” Phillips said.
Voting has been tight in Memphis and across Tennessee since the Nov. 3 election. Preliminary voting in the state ends on October 29.
WERG reports that early voting at 26 Shelby County sites will take place on Oct 29. Lasts up to 29. Wednesday’s and Thursday’s polls set early voting records, the Election Commission said.
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