The Virginia gubernatorial race was highly contentious and many considered it a bellwether for the future of the Democratic Party. Maybe that’s why some believed Republican votes were being suppressed.
Virginia voters reported that they were being told they must wear a mask to cast their ballots on Election Day, Breitbart reported. The practice is illegal, according to a missive from the Virginia Department of Elections.
“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,” the Virginia GOP tweeted Tuesday. “To be clear, if someone is not wearing a face covering they may NOT be turned away or refused their right to vote.”
That didn’t stop some high-profile voters from experiencing discrimination for themselves. “I was told at my polling station I couldn’t vote without a mask,” Matt Schlapp, chair of the American Conservative Union, tweeted. “Knowing what the GOP thinks about masks, isn’t this just an illegal barrier to voting? But I can count on one thing our judges will do nothing,” he said.
Virginia Department of Elections Commissioner Christopher Piper sent a memo to remind officials that they could not turn away maskless voters. “We have gotten several reports of voters either being turned away or being made to wait until the polling place is clear before being allowed to vote if they refuse to wear a mask,” he wrote. “You may not turn voters away because they are not wearing masks,” he said.
“While masks are encouraged, every eligible voter is entitled to cast a ballot at their polling place,” Piper added. “It is not sufficient to offer curbside voting as an alternative. Under 24.2-649.1, curbside voting is available only to ‘any voter with a disability or who is age 65 or older,'” the commissioner reminded officials.
BREAKING: The Youngkin legal team with a victory on the mask issue. They obtained this directive, sent to all election officials. NO ONE can be turned away for not wearing a mask. pic.twitter.com/4NjKMTnbPQ
— Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) November 2, 2021
Despite these reports, GOP candidate Glenn Youngkin is projected to have prevailed against Democrat Terry McAuliffe, CBS News reported. This is quite a swing to the right considering President Joe Biden won the state by 10 points just a year ago.
Democrats may have tried to keep Republicans, who are largely against masks, away from the polls with their mandates, but it doesn’t seem to have helped their cause. Instead, people who wanted a change from leftist tyranny turned out in droves — and that could be the same story come the 2022 midterms.
