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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

Is it illegal to campaign too close to a polling place?

By Austin Tannenbaum
YES

All U.S. states have laws prohibiting electioneering near polling places. "Electioneering" is the act of attempting to persuade someone to vote for or against a particular candidate. Each state has its own laws, but all 50 states prohibit electioneering inside of polling places and within a certain distance outside of polling places during voting hours. Ohio election law, for instance, requires that "two or more small flags of the United States...be placed at a distance of one hundred feet from the polling place" to designate the electioneering boundary.

Certain states also include "passive electioneering" prohibitions at polling places against apparel and paraphernalia that convey support or opposition of a candidate.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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