What not to wear on Election Day

Before heading to the polls Tuesday, check your wardrobe.

If you don't, you might get checked at the door. There is a dress code for voting that says what you can't wear.

State law forbids any electioneering "for or against any candidate, measure or political party in or within 100 feet" of the outside entrance to a polling place. In other words, no signs inside the building, even if you're wearing them.

That means the neat Obama T-shirt you picked up at a political rally or that Romney-Ryan button you bought at the Republican National Convention should be left at home or completely covered when you get to the polls on Election Day.

People who show up wearing campaign messages and images won't be turned away, said Steve Raborn, Tarrant County's elections administrator. The election judge will ask that the message be covered. In the case of a T-shirt, the person will be directed to the restroom to turn the garment inside-out.

Voters are allowed to bring printed material for their own use, but they aren't permitted to "flash it around," Raborn said, noting that campaign material is often handed out by candidate supporters outside polling places.

Election officials also urge voters to check their precinct number and polling site before going to cast their ballot. Many voters are in new precincts because district lines were redrawn, and many polling places have changed since the primaries in May.

Despite rumors that voters will need to show a photo ID, that law is not in force for this election. A voter registration card is sufficient. Those who don't have a registration card available must be prepared to show another form of identification. That could be a driver's license or personal ID card from the Department of Public Safety; an employee badge or student ID; a birth certificate; U.S. citizenship papers or a U.S. passport; official mail addressed to you from a governmental entity; or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document showing your name and address.

For information about voting locations in Tarrant County, go to www.tarrantcounty.com/elections or call 817-831-VOTE (8683).

Naming a learning place

It's entirely fitting that Paschal High School in Fort Worth is naming its library after 50-year teacher John Hamilton.

That's not because he's a bookworm or a recluse. Far from it.

Hamilton's an effusive advocate of academics and learning. And he's been an outspoken force behind Paschal's long-standing reputation for producing high-achieving students.

Hamilton started as a math teacher and later helped create the position of academic coordinator, a post eventually added at every Fort Worth high school. He worked to increase the Advanced Placement courses available to challenge students, and in 1985 he started a summer course to prepare students for the PSAT/SAT. Thousands of students from across North Texas have enrolled in the course, which costs far less than private test-prep offerings.

The goal hasn't been just to help students build vocabulary and understand what they'll face on the tests but to help them better position themselves for college admission and scholarships.

Because of the work on academics, Paschal has more National Merit honorees than any other North Texas high school, public or private. Paschal, Fort Worth's largest high school, with almost 2,500 students, had 19 National Merit Semifinalists in 2012. And the graduating class included 24 National Merit commended scholars and 18 minority scholars, according to a PTA news release about Sunday's library-naming ceremony. The event is set for 12:30-2:30 p.m. at the school, 3001 Forest Park Blvd.

Hamilton has handed off academic coordinator duties but still works in Paschal's academics office part time. His influence will remain ingrained in the school -- and now so will his name.

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