NewsAmerica in Crisis

Actions

Memphis poll worker fired for turning away voters with Black Lives Matter shirts

Posted
and last updated

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — An elections official says a poll worker in Memphis, Tennessee, has been fired after turning away early voters who were wearing “Black Lives Matter” and “I Can’t Breathe” shirts.

Shelby County Election Commission spokeswoman Suzanne Thompson says the worker was fired Friday after officials received a call from a witness at the Dave Wells Community Center in Memphis.

Tennessee law does not allow voters to wear items with the name of a candidate or a political party on them in a polling place. But state law does not bar statements such as “Black Lives Matter.”

Thompson said the poll worker thought the statements were tied to the Democratic Party.

,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Saturday

04/19/2025

Sunny

82° / 55°

0%

Sunday

04/20/2025

Sunny

85° / 57°

0%

Monday

04/21/2025

Sunny

87° / 57°

0%

Tuesday

04/22/2025

Sunny

89° / 59°

0%

Wednesday

04/23/2025

Sunny

86° / 56°

0%

Thursday

04/24/2025

Mostly Cloudy

80° / 53°

0%

Friday

04/25/2025

Partly Cloudy

74° / 52°

1%

Saturday

04/26/2025

Partly Cloudy

73° / 51°

5%