Election Myths Exposed!
Updated 10/31/08
The dissemination of bad information is a reality we unfortunately must expect during election season. The Committee of Seventy works hard to dispel election rumors by providing the public with good information. This guide rebuts the rumors we’ve heard so far this fall.
Please contact us if you think you’ve received a misleading electronic or paper communication, particularly if it’s anonymous – we’re happy to check into it and set the record straight!
I plan on voting a straight ticket in November (meaning I can hit a party button and all of the candidates from that party will be selected). However, I heard that to make sure my vote for president counts, I have to hit the presedential candidate's button first, then go back to hit the straight party ticket. Is that true?
This is completely untrue. If you want to vote a straight ticket, just hit the party button at the top of the ballot, or choose each candidate individually. (Or, fill in the straight party oval if you live in Chester County and are using an optical scan machine.)
I'm a college student in Pennsylvania. I heard that if I register to vote here, I'll have to pay property taxes on my dorm room. Is that true?
No - this is untrue.
Am I allowed to wear a t-shirt or a pin supporting my candidate into the polling place? (This includes hats and other merchandise.)
It depends.
In Philadelphia, voters are allowed to wear clothing or a pin endorsing a candidate into the polling place while voting. However, voters may not actively campaign, and must leave the polling place once they are finished voting.
Other counties in Pennsylvania might adopt a stricter rule and NOT permit a voter to wear any political merchandise into the polling place. Check with your county board of elections to determine the rule in your county.
In all counties in Pennsylvania, election board members, poll watchers, and candidates with a watcher's certificate are not allowed to wear anything endorsing a candidate, or engage in campaigning while inside the polling place.
In general in Pennsylvania, campaigning (electioneering) must be done at least 10 feet from the voting room, meaning all campaign or political materials must be kept at least 10 feet from the voting room (except in counties that permit a voter to wear political gear while voting). Furthermore, no person may campaign or solicit votes for any political party, political body, or candidate while in the voting room.
Our advice: bring a jacket just in case.
I have heard that on Election Day police will be checking for “scoff law” traffic ticket offenders inside the polling place. Is this true?
No! This is a myth. In Pennsylvania, uniformed and plainclothes police officers must stay at least 100 feet from the polling place unless they are voting, serving a warrant, or are summoned to preserve the peace. Police officers should not be stationed inside the polling place.
I am a convicted felon. What are my voting rights?
In Pennsylvania, convicted felons who have been released from prison, or who will be freed before Election Day, are eligible to register and vote (provided they meet the generally applicable registration requirements for citizenship, age and residency). This is true even if they are currently on parole or probation. In other words, only convicted felons who are incarcerated at the time of the election are not allowed to vote in Pennsylvania.
I’ve been in trouble with the law in the past, and I’m not sure whether I can register or vote. Who may and may not register or vote in Pennsylvania with a criminal past? (Information provided by the Pennsylvania Department of State.)
Here’s a list of who MAY register and vote in Pennsylvania, even though the person has committed a crime:
• Pretrial detainees (individuals in a penal institution awaiting trial on charges of either a felony or a misdemeanor),
• Someone convicted of a misdemeanor,
• Someone who was convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor who will be released from a correctional facility or a halfway house before the next election,
• Someone on probation or parole, including parolees living in a halfway house, and
• Someone under house arrest, regardless of conviction status or the conditions of confinement.
Here’s a list of who MAY NOT register or vote in Pennsylvania:
• Convicted felons confined to a penal institution who will not be released before the next election,
• Someone in a halfway house or other alternative correctional facility on pre-release status for conviction of a felony who will not be released before the next election, or
• Someone who has been convicted of violating any part of the Pennsylvania Election Code within the last four years.
I am a college student in Pennsylvania. If I register and vote at my college address, will I lose my financial aid?
No. Students are often warned that registering and voting at their college address, as opposed to their home address, might affect their scholarships or financial aid. This is untrue for the vast majority of students. Where you register to vote will not affect any of your federal financial aid, including Pell Grants, Perkins and Stafford Loans, Academic Competitive Grants, SMART Grants, and other federal loans. It will also not affect whether you are considered your parents' dependent for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) purposes.
However, a small handful of private scholarships and grants are designated for residents of a particular place. If you have one of these scholarships or grants, you should check with the administrator of the program to see how they determine residency-they may not consider voter registration, or they may not care if you switch your residency once enrolled in college.
As a general matter, students in Pennsylvania may register and vote at either a college address or a home address. However, the student may only choose ONE and may NOT vote twice.
I am a college student in Pennsylvania. If I vote at my college address, will my parents still be able to claim me as a dependent?
Yes. When your parents claim you as a dependent, they can take a $3500 tax deduction. Students are sometimes told that registering to vote will make it impossible for their parents to claim them as a dependent. This is not true.