Do coworkers, social media, and election politics mix?

I know many of you are swapping your Seattle mayoral picks and your thoughts on I-1033 and Ref. 71 around the office water cooler. But how about on Facebook and Twitter where many of your officemates and customers lurk?

When I've written about talking election politics at the office in years past, the expert advice has been to play it safe and stay mum. If you can't resist swapping election picks at work, the legal and career experts would warn, do so on a lunch or coffee break, steer clear of heated debates, and avoid canvassing your coworkers at all costs. More than anything, your employer is concerned about you disrupting office productivity, not whether you're talking political turkey.

In reality, I found that the corporate climate often dictates how much employees are willing to come out of the political closet. If you work at a small social justice organization, you're likely talking about the Nov. 3 election at the office -- a lot. If you work at a larger company where the bumpers stickers in the parking lot bear an assortment of moderate, liberal, and conservative political messages, you're likely keeping your mouth shut in mixed company.

But what about your Facebook and Twitter accounts? Do you let your political leanings out of the bag online for all your managers, coworkers, and customers to see, or do you play it safe and steer clear of any political chit-chat there, too?

A number of my social media contacts post about their national and local political views, regardless of the fact that their coworkers are friending them on Facebook and following them on Twitter. Links to articles and videos about their pet causes abound. Some even use avatars that reflect their views on hot-button issues like healthcare reform and same-sex marriage. I'm guessing you've noticed similar trends in your social media world, too.

On Facebook especially, it's almost impossible to stay out of the political fray, thanks to all the candidate and referendum fan pages and links to heated editorials passed around. Ask any Facebook user you know what they were talking about online at this time last year and most will say, "The presidential election -- what else?"

Readers, where do you stand on the social media and election politics continuum? Do you talk politics no matter who's reading your online musings? Keep your Facebook and Twitter accounts under lock and key (no coworkers allowed!) so you can talk as freely as you do in your own living room? Or do you avoid online political banter like the plague?

Freelance writer Michelle Goodman is the author of "My So-Called Freelance Life" and "The Anti 9-to-5 Guide." E-mail her at ninetothrive@nwjobs.com.