Thursday, March 3, 2016

Report: Clinton campaign 'reminded' of election law after Bill strolls into polls


The Clinton campaign was “reminded” of Massachusetts election laws Tuesday after the former president wandered into a Boston school and began shaking hands with voters and polling workers.
According to The Boston Globe, Bill Clinton strolled into the Holy Name Parish School in West Roxbury alongside Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. But state law restricts electioneering (soliciting for or against any person, party or ballot question) within 150 feet of a polling place.
A video shows Clinton shaking hands inside the school gym where the voting was taking place, and reports say he was glad-handing everyone -- even kissing an old woman on the head - and stopped at a bake sale near the entrance and bought a cup of coffee. At one point, according to MassLive.com, he was asked by a woman inside to pose for a picture.
“As long as we’re not violating any election laws,” he said. The report said he spent 45 minutes at the West Roxbury location. It was one of several stops he made in Massachusetts, where his wife was locked in a Super Tuesday primary battle with opponent Bernie Sanders. Massachusetts is one state where the Vermont senator has given the former first lady a fight, according to the polls.
MassLive.com said Bill Clinton did not take press questions, nor did he appear to mention the election. At one point a woman told the former president that she had voted for Republican Ted Cruz, but that her 98-year-old mother voted for Hillary Clinton. He then took a piece of paper out of his pocket and wrote the mother a note.
While the Boston Globe confirmed with the Secretary of State’s office that the campaign had been “reminded” of the 150-foot rule, it was not clear when or where the reminder took place.
When asked by by Fox News whether the ex-president was violating election rules, a spokesman for Secretary of State Brian McNiff said simply, “I don't know. He was just in there shaking hands and there's no law against that."
He did mention that there were problems with traffic being obstructed and "quite a crowd in New Bedford" when Clinton stopped there earlier, but it did not shut down the polls.

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