KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — Election Day at Blaney Baptist Church polling site in Elgin saw a brief confrontation when a voter attempted to cast his ballot wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat.
A video provided to News19 captured the exchange between the voter, poll workers, and local police officers as tempers flared over the interpretation of campaign material rules at the polls.
Footage shows the voter insisting on his right to vote, saying, “This is America, this is my First Amendment right."
Elgin Police Chief Alan Anders explained that his officers responded to the incident.
"We got a call that someone had what they call literature propaganda, and us reading the law, we felt it was a gray area, and we didn’t want to violate anyone's right," Anders said.
Kershaw County’s Deputy Director of Voter Registration, Meiko Reddick, clarified that South Carolina law prohibits campaign materials, including logos and slogans, within 500 feet of a polling site’s entrance.
"Through the election law, you know, you are not allowed to have campaign material within the polling precinct. Reddick said. "It does not necessarily just have to say the candidate's name, but any of their slogans are included in it. It was ultimately de-escalated, he took his hat off, went in and voted, then left."
In a statement, the South Carolina Election Commission reinforced the law, explaining, “A MAGA hat would be considered campaign material for this election. If a voter is wearing other campaign material to the polling place, then a poll manager will instruct them to remove or cover the material so that it is not visible to other voters in the polling place."
The issue was eventually resolved, and the voter was allowed to cast his ballot after removing the hat.
