Brett Mauthe went to cast his early ballot this week for Donald Trump and ended up in jail.
Mauthe, 55, went Monday to fulfill his civic duty in Bulverde, Texas. He was wearing a hat supporting the Republican nominee and a T-shirt reading “Basket of deplorables.” The phrase was used by Hillary Clinton to describe Trump supporters: “The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic.”
It is considered electioneering to wear clothing supporting a candidate to a polling place, just as it is illegal to stand outside one holding campaign signs. Mauthe was asked to remove his hat and complied. But he refused to turn his shirt inside out so the slogan could not be read.
He was then arrested on a charge of electioneering.
Comal County elections coordinator Cynthia Jaqua told the Houston Chronicle it was the first time she’d actually seen anyone arrested for violating the prohibition on items supporting a candidate.
“Every election we have to advise people,” Jaqua said, even when casting ballots for things like the school board. “It’s in the election code. Electioneering is prohibited within a 100-foot marker. You cannot express views for or against a candidate or political party by wearing buttons, T-shirts, hats, whatever else or carrying signs.”
Mauthe told KSAT that he didn’t know wearing clothing supporting Trump broke the law. He was released on a $500 bond.