A New Hampshire woman popped her top off and bared her breasts at a polling place on Tuesday after she was told by an election official that she could not wear a t-shirt that had anti-Donald Trump message. She wasn't wearing anything underneath and after casting her vote left the place quietly. The unidentified woman initially tried to justify her point but didn't go into further argument.
There were around 15 voters and no children at the polling place when the incident happened. Interestingly, she kept her face mask on, which was appreciated by several others present at the scene.
Unique Way of Protesting
The woman, who entered a polling place in Exeter wearing a "McCain Hero, Trump Zero" T-shirt, was told of a state law by town moderator Paul Scafidi that bans campaign material at polling places. Initially, she tried to explain it to the election official by pointing out to another woman at the polling place who was wearing an American flag T-shirt, Scafidi said.
However, she was told that an American flag wasn't electioneering and in order to cast her vote, she would have to cover her "Trump Zero" shirt. The woman, not wanting to risk a fine, tried to plead her case. She asked if the officials wanted her to take her shirt off. She wasn't wearing anything underneath. "I said I'd rather she not," Scafidi said. "But she took it off so fast, no one had time to react. So the whole place just went, 'whoa,' and she walked away, and I let her vote."
She then left the polling station and put her t-shirt on as others looked at her. In fact, her way of protesting was appreciated by many others who had come to cast their vote.
Right or Wrong?
Election officials were initially taken by surprise after she popped her top off giving them an eyeful but later laughed off the incident and the voting went normal for rest of the day. New Hampshire state law states no person "shall distribute, wear, or post at a polling place any campaign material," in part, and if convicted, is subject to a fine up to $1,000.
However, the races were for governor and Congress, and Trump was not on the ballot. McCain, the former U.S. senator and a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War who clashed with the president, died in 2018. Scafidi said that the woman could have gone somewhere private to turn the shirt inside out but decided instead.
According to New Hampshire's public indecency law, an individual can be found guilty of indecent exposure and lewdness if the person "fornicates, exposes his or her genitals, or performs any other act of gross lewdness under circumstances which he or she should know will likely cause affront or alarm." Scafidi said he could have reported the woman for violating the state's indecency laws but decided to focus on the election at hand and not prolong the situation.
