Today is Election Day 2024, and if you’re feeling nervous or on edge about that, you’re not alone. Tensions have been high during this whole election cycle, and it doesn’t look like the end is in sight as we prepare for a presidential election that may last several more days as results come in. Because of that, it’s important to know the rules for voting in-person to minimize as much stress as possible when you go to the polls. One common question is: Are you allowed to bring food or drinks into your polling station?
The answer is yes, you can bring your own food and beverages with you to the polls! However, you should be cautious about sharing, as there are some rules that can get complicated. Providing people with basic necessities, like food and water, is called line warming, which can be helpful in many ways, but also something you could potentially get in trouble for.
According to HuffPost, there have been concerns in the past that line warming could be considered electioneering. Electioneering is when a political campaign or party tries to influence voters to vote for their candidate, which typically includes acts like bribing voters to vote for a certain candidate or wearing a candidate’s T-shirt or merch to the polls. Electioneering is not allowed within a certain distance of polling places (the exact distance varies state by state) so that voters aren’t unfairly persuaded or intimidated to vote for a certain candidate. The argument that providing food and beverages to people in line at the polls is considered electioneering is debatable, but it has, in fact, been implemented before. In Georgia in 2020, for example, a provision was passed making it illegal to hand out food and drinks at the polls. (This ban — which was criticized as a form a voter suppression — was partially struck down in 2023.)
The counter-argument to this, of course, is that sometimes people are waiting in line to vote for hours in uncomfortable conditions. In the South, people may be waiting for hours in the heat, or in the Northwest, it could be rainy and cold. Giving out food and water to voters can ensure they stay healthy, energized, and hydrated, and allow them to stay in line to ensure they’re able to cast their vote. Still, it’s important to pay attention to your state’s specific rules to make sure your voting process goes as smoothly as possible — and if you want to be safe rather than sorry, it’s probably best to just bring your own food and drink and keep it to yourself.
After you’ve done your research on your state’s policies, if you’re feeling hungry this Election Day, Her Campus has got you covered. Her Campus has teamed up with Pizza to the Polls to deliver over 2,000 slices of pizza to polling places with long lines — visit polls.pizza for more info!