Can voters, poll workers wear Chiefs or Royals gear when they head to the polls April 2?

Joseph Hernandez
·4 min read

Walk outside Kansas City on any given day, and you are bound to see someone wearing Chiefs or Royals gear. Salvador Perez jerseys, Chiefs Super Bowl hats, and sweatshirts depicting the relationship between Taylor Swift and her beau Travis Kelce line the streets.

Depending on your role at the polls, you might want to leave it all at home when you go vote on Election Day, Tuesday, April 2.

Poll workers are not allowed to wear any Chiefs or Royals merchandise, the Kansas City and Jackson County election boards confirmed to The Star Tuesday. As no-excuse absentee voting is underway, Kansas City Election Board director Shawn Kieffer said they had to ask one of their poll workers to take off their Royals jersey at one of their polling sites.

The boards do not want to give the appearance of swaying voters in a direction, Kieffer said.

But what about people who are just voting?

Voters can wear Chiefs or Royals gear to the polls, but Jackson County Election Board director Tammy Brown said they would be on the lookout for people wearing anything related to voting yes or no on the question to issue a 40-year, 3/8th-cent sales tax to help pay for a new Royals stadium in the Crossroads and renovations to the Chiefs’ GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

“We are telling our judges that if they come in with a Chiefs sweatshirt or Royals cap that it is all fine, but that we are paying attention to vote yes or vote no shirts,” Brown said about voters. “They are not allowed to wear that in.”

Election workers will ask people to turn their gear inside out, take it off or leave the area if they are wearing anything related to the question on the ballot.

Wearing any gear related to the ballot question would be considered electioneering, which is illegal in Missouri. Electioneering applies to any vote or election, prohibiting people from bringing anything related to an item on the ballot within 25 feet of the building’s entrance, such as shirts, hats or yard signs, according to Missouri law.

Both election boards said they ran it by their attorneys and determined that it is okay for voters to wear the sports gear of their favorite teams.

When is Election Day in Kansas City?

Election Day is Tuesday, April 2.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Look up your polling location before Election Day. If you live in Kansas City, check your voter status on the Kansas City Election Board website to find your polling place. For those who live elsewhere in Jackson County, put your information in the Voter ID Lookup section in the election board’s website’s sidebar.

Can I still vote early in Kansas City, Jackson County?

All voters are eligible to cast their ballot in person now. This is officially called no-excuse absentee voting.

In Kansas City, you can vote early at two locations, on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday, March 30, from 8 a.m. to noon:

For the rest of Jackson County — like Raytown or Independence — you can go to the Jackson County Election Board’s Absentee Office at 110 N. Liberty, Independence, on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If KC gets a downtown stadium, where will everyone park? Royals say it’s not an issue

What ID do I need to vote?

Registered Missouri voters will need a government-issued photo ID to vote. Accepted forms of photo ID for Missouri include:

  • A non-expired Missouri driver’s license or a state ID

  • A non-expired military ID, including a veteran ID card

  • A U.S. passport or another form of photo ID issued by the U.S. government or the state of Missouri that has not expired

Do you have any more questions about the stadium vote?

What do you need to know to make an informed decision ahead of the April 2 vote?

By filling out the form below or emailing kcq@kcstar.com, your questions can help guide The Star’s ongoing coverage of the Royals and Chiefs stadium vote.