Dana Carvey may have been right when he said, “Chicken make a lousy house pet,” but they’re quite entertaining nonetheless. Sadly, election commissioners in Nevada will not get to be amused by people in chicken costumes at the polls.

The state election commission added chicken suits to the list of banned items at polling places last month after Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sue Lowden became the target of profuse, fowl-themed ridicule. The millionaire casino executive, former beauty queen, and Tea Party darling gained national attention after suggesting that people barter with doctors for medical care, like when “our grandparents would bring a chicken to the doctor.”

In addition to setting up a website titled “Chickens for Checkups,” Democrats responded by sending volunteers in chicken suits to Lowden’s campaign events. Within weeks, she went from being the favorite in a 12-way GOP primary race to being virtually tied for the lead.

Election officials said such a costume would be an “inappropriate and obvious” advocacy message against Lowden. As a result, chicken garb joins political buttons, shirts, hats, and signs in being prohibited within 100 feet of polling places.

We feel this prohibition is an utter shame. A person dressed in a chicken costume would provide a much-needed distraction for commissioners during those long, boring hours waiting for apathetic voters to not cast their votes on election day.

Plus, it’s not like Lowden’s detractors would be wearing just any old costume. They’d be dressed as chickens, arguably the most comedic anthropomorphized domestic animal known to man!

For starters, take the San Diego Chicken. Even though he’s thematically unrelated to any sports team in the city, he’s possibly the most famous mascot in the country, providing untold joy and delight to several generations of sports fans.

Then there’s Foghorn Leghorn, who’s been known to make grown men crack up laughing without saying a single word. And don’t forget about Ernie the chicken, Peter Griffin’s pugilistic nemesis from Family Guy.

Yes, it doesn’t get much funnier than chickens. Hey, maybe Sue Lowden was on to something with that whole “chicken doctor” thing. After all, laughter is the best medicine.