What are the rules with bringing small children to the polls with you?

[gatorboy]

I've been hearing about several complaints today about polling monitors telling parents that they can't take their child with them into the voting area. Now I can see how this might be possibly distracting but someone with a small children, 4 or 5 years old, is not going to leave their child at the door when they vote!

[amber dog democrat]

1. They are allowed to in Texas.

You can even show them what is involved - as long as it is not disruptive.

[GrapesOfWrath]

2. in Maryland

(Anne Arundel County) they had a sign posted that only children under twelve could accompany parents to the voting booth. I had my two girls (5 and 3) and we had no problem.

[wellstone_democrat]

3. 7:00 am babies in arms, toddlers, and small school children

with parents obviously voting on the way to work. I've ALWAYS seen kids at the polls---remember going with my dad myself way back in the day!

[qb]

4. I would be surprised if there were any laws against it.

How are single parents supposed to vote? I think they're dealing with uptight poll monitors. Hell, I brought my 7-year-old and she voted (Minneapolis is having a separate kid's vote).

[Avalux]

5. Children are allowed

a 9 month old went right in with mom to vote. Take your kids; they can't stop you. :hi:

[gatorboy]

13. That was the problem. though.

They stopped a lady who works at my office who took her child. Her kid is nine, but still! They told her, her kid had to wait outside. Considering it took 45 minutes to vote (this was yesterday). I can see how they can use this to intimidate individuals from voting.

[Eurobabe]

17. oferchrissakes....

do we need to set up babysitting booths at the polls now?

the kids need to see the process....

[snacker]

6. Always took my young children when I voted

here in Wisconsin.

[Pirate Smile]

7. Bullsh@#! As a parent you don't have any choice and you have the

right to vote. You can Definitely take them in with you if you need to.

[Mister K]

8. Never had a problem in NJ.

[flpoljunkie]

Alowed in Florida. Took mine in years ago and let them pull the lever!

Of course, we had the old fashioned lever machines with curtains then. Our children loved going!

[Oreo]

9. I did

Kept him in the stroller here in Mpls. Lots of kids where there. They have a Kids Vote too where children can vote.

[skippysmom]

10. I remember my parents taking me into the voting booth

in the 1976 election.

I was 4.

[seabeyond]

11. amarillo texas have been doing it for years..............

and everyone has loved it, love to see the kids a part. they embrace them, caht with them, a joy all around.

[gauguin57]

12. In my precinct, the clerk tells the kids they can have a cookie if

they go into the booth with Mommy or Daddy and everything goes well. I liked that because it made the parents with small children feel WELCOME at the polling place.

The kids LOVE it -- it turns a trial (having to wait in line, having to wait some more while Mommy clicks a bunch of levers)... Lots of little kids, babies in carseats etc. came in while I was pollwatching ... lots of choc. chip cookies given out.

On edit: in Lancaster County, PA, We STILL have the old-fashioned voting machines with the curtains!

[Bunny]

21. We still have them in Westmoreland County, PA, too!

The machines with the levers and the curtains!

I've always taken both of my kids into the booth with me, they can pull the levers all they want. No problems here.

[lolamio]

14. That wasn't my experience at all.

I brought all three of my children - ages 8, 6, and 3 - with me this morning and the ladies working the polls were very nice about them being with me. I brought them into the voting booth with me and they even helped me pull the lever. There is no way in that I would leave my children outside while I was inside voting. Aside from the obvious safety concerns, I want my children to be there to witness the process. My vote is for their future!

[4_Legs_Good]

15. I brought my 2 year old with me...

maybe a little distracting, but he's been hitting the polling place every election since he's been born. The poll workers all know him and nobody complained.

He got an "I Voted" sticker as usual. I had to lie about what we were doing lest he shout out

JOHN KERRY WIN
BUSH BAD ONE

In the middle of the polling place. When we got out I told him what we had done, and he turned around pointed at the building and said, "John Kerry in there?"

He cracks me up!



david

[michigandem2]

22. my kids got an I voted sticker too my daughter said she LOVES voting

[gatorboy]

16. I'm glad to hear it's an isolated situation.

The lady here in the newspaper office that it happened to raised hell and another volunteer at the polling area quickly changed their mind about the kid policy. :D

[Caria]

18. We always take our 3-year-old

She LOVES voting, and afterward she loves showing off her "I voted" sticker & asking people if they voted too.

When we were kids, my husband and I both went into voting booths with our parents, and my mother has mentioned going in with HER father too. Isn't it an American tradition?

I have never before heard of anyone getting hassled about bringing kids along! Our old polling place had a playroom set up with volunteers doing free babysitting for people waiting in line to vote, but even then, we always saw lots of parents taking their kids in with them.

[newyawker99]

37. Hi Caria!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Stinky The Clown]

19. My parents took my brother and me

every time they voted. I took my two sons when they were little. It's AMERICAN fer chrissakes.

Where are the family values?

[michigandem2]

20. i went on "off peak" hours..with my two kids (3 1/2 and 2)

by myself...I put my 2 year old in a stroller and prepped my 3 1/2 year old before we left that she had to whisper and stay right by me...it was fine...but it was also not busy at the time

[Hippo_Tron]

23. I remember my dad taking me to the polls in '92

I was pretty young, but not too young to remember.

[Stuckinthebush]

24. My children are American citizens!

I am going to teach them the importance of voting by letting them watch the process. There is no law against children with their parents in the voting booth. It's not like its a liquor store!

[republicansareevil]

25. Please report this in the Problems Forum.

Can you find out which voting location your co-worker was at?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=201

[VirginiaDem]

26. Here in Norfolk, Virginia not only can we bring 'em

but they get to take part in Kids Vote. They get their own special area, their own forms, and ice cream and donut coupons. It was cool.

[ithacan]

27. my kids push the levers!

I always bring one of my kids with me into the voting booth and have them push the levers. Makes them part of the process!

Lots of parents do the same at our polling place and I've never heard anyone way you can't do it.

I started when my kids were about 4 or 5...

[TriMetFan]

28. It is not against the law to take your kid with you to vote.

Don't let them try and stop you. Demand your rights and your kids rights. Also just tell them that you can't put your kid in danger by leaving the kid alone when some right wing nut can hurt them.

[momisold]

29. Could be older people

working the polls and it makes them nervous to have kids running around? Just asking. If the lines are long and they are feeling like they need to keep order and have everything fair, etc., having kids in line may make them feel like one more thing they need to keep an eye on. Could be innocent, not necessarily keeping people from voting.

I voted early and took my 7 year old son with me. I voted with paper and pencil and let him fill in the circles for me. We both got an "I voted" sticker when we left.

[RetroLounge]

30. We bring our kids all the time...

it's a great lesson in Civics...

RL

[Red State Rebel]

31. I've never heard of that, I always took my daughter with me

It's a great way for kids to learn about our voting process and to see how important it is for us to vote.

I have never heard of any law restricting children from voting places. Unless of course they were trying to vote :)

[gollygee]

32. I had my daughter and there were tons of other kids at the polls here

So if someone is telling parents they can't take their child in, they came up with that on their own. And, I bet, can get in trouble for telling parents that.

Parents can vote too! Some of us don't have any choice but to bring our kids.

[Claire Beth]

33. allowed in TN n/t

[LizW]

34. The complainers

are probably just the people who don't tolerate small children well in any situation. When I voted while ago, there were kids of all ages there. Some women had strollers and such.

There's no way it would be fair to bar children from the polling place. That would prevent lots of parents from voting.

[Polly Glot]

35. I posted a thread on nearly this subject earlier...

because I was afraid my 4-year old was going to electioneer - "Vote for Kerry!," etc.

UPDATE: He did come along to the polls with us, and did a great job for the most part. No electioneering whatsoever. My son did become really incensed when we got to the booth, however, and he didn't get to fill in the ovals with the cool hanging pencil. I promised him a treat when we got home if he'd be quiet, and that helped a lot.

Anyway my mother always took me to the polls with her and now I've taken my 4 yr old and 18 mo old so I can't imagine that they'd turn you away. My suggestion: bring the treat(s) WITH you to the polls in case the lines get looooong.

Good luck!

[Bridget Burke]

36. As with most election law--it varies.

The laws are different from state to state & local interpretation may vary.

It's legal in Texas.