BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – San Antonio Spurs fans and fans of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo will have to put their fan gear away when they cast their votes this year.
Bexar County Elections Administrator Michele Carew said the rule prohibiting Spurs and rodeo gear is because it’s considered campaigning due to the two propositions on the 2025 ballots.
“Wearing any type of apparel that (mentions) any team or association on the ballot is considered electioneering,” Carew said.
Electioneering is when a person attempts to persuade others to vote a certain way in an election, whether actively or passively.
Considering Proposition A involves the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo and Proposition B involves the San Antonio Spurs, apparel from those two organizations is banned from polling locations and within 100 feet of the entrances.
“You’re not allowed to bring anything into the poll site that’s either for or against any measure,” Carew said. “Any type of Spurs apparel, hats, any type of buttons.”
“I think that’s crazy,” said Bexar County voter Astrid Segovia.
“We’re really big fans, so to go and rep our team and then for that to kind of be taken away is kind of insane, actually,” Spurs fan Kayle Norris said
While some fans may be upset about the policy, the rule stands, and there is a precedent of not allowing team gear in voting locations.
“It’s been more than 20 years, but there was an election in Tarrant County that had to do with moving the Dallas Cowboys Stadium to Arlington,” Carew said. “That’s when it came to light that wearing apparel to the poll site could be misconstrued as electioneering.”
“I’m personally very impartial,” David Gilbert, a Bexar County resident, said. “I think everybody should just, you know, celebrate home teams and all the greatness we have in San Antonio. Ironically, I’m from Dallas, so a huge Cowboys fan, of course.”
KSAT did ask if the policy includes tattoos, and for now, that has not been formally decided.
“I think that’s something I’d probably have to go back to (the) Secretary of State and talk about,” Carew said.
It is important to note that if you wear banned gear to polling locations, poll workers will request that you either change, turn your shirt inside out, or leave if you fail to cooperate with the rules.
If you are not registered to vote, you can register through Monday, Oct. 6.
Early voting begins Oct. 20 and ends Oct. 31, and Election Day is Nov. 4. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is Oct. 24.
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