November 3, 2021 by Jack Gournall
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., tweeted Tuesday her office has received reports that New York voters in some towns and cities have been told they must wear masks to vote and asked that people let her office know about any such incidents.
“Let us be very clear. This is illegal voter suppression,” Stefanik tweeted. “The New York State Constitution is clear, nothing can inhibit a legal voter from going to cast their ballot in person. There is currently NO mandate requiring a voter to wear a mask to go vote despite what a Democrat poll worker will try to tell you.”
Stefanik’s message used the same phrase Democrats have used when accusing Republicans of attempting to suppress minority votes. Republican voters are less likely to wear masks — many saying that they either have not been proved effective or an effort for the government to control citizens.
“The work of certified Republican poll watchers has never been more important to hold the line and report this illegal activity immediately to your local board elections as well as our office,” Stefanik said.
Stefanik’s office received hundreds of complaints and has directed them to the New York Attorney General Letitia James’ officeand county elections officials,a Stefanik spokesperson told Newsmax on Wednesday night.
“Our team had received hundreds of complaints of these examples of mask voter suppression,” the spokeperson’s email statement read. “We have directed people to the attorney general’s office and are passing information along to the County Boards of Elections.”
The Virginia GOP made a similar complaint Tuesday, asthe nation is closely watching the governor’s election there.
“There have been several reports from voters who say they were told by poll workers that they are required to wear a mask in order to vote. To be clear, if someone is not wearing a face covering they may NOT be turned away or refused their right to vote,” the Virginia GOP wrote Tuesday on Twitter.
“Masks are NOT required to vote. There is no mask mandate in Virginia,” they said.
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