Maryland man arrested after trying to vote without a mask has sued, saying rights were violated

[ehrnst]

A retired Maryland correctional officer has sued the Harford County Board of Elections and sheriff’s office over his arrest at a polling place after he refused to wear a mask.

Daniel Swain, 52, accuses election officials of “illegally interfering with and suppressing” his right to vote on Monday. He filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in Harford County Circuit Court and is seeking a temporary restraining order that would prohibit the election board from requiring people to wear a face mask while voting to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Swain, who was charged with trespassing and failing to comply with a health emergency, is also seeking monetary damages and an order that would require the defendants to pay for and receive “Constitutional voting rights training.”

“I feel disenfranchised,” he said in an interview.

Swain is represented by Daniel L. Cox, a Republican state delegate who represents Frederick and Carroll counties and has filed a lawsuit of his own against Gov. Larry Hogan’s administration over his stay-at-home orders, which were designed to curtail the covid-19 pandemic.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/mask-voting-lawsuit-maryland/2020/10/28/653061c4-1934-11eb-82db-60b15c874105_story.html

I smell yet another setup for claiming that Trump supporters were targeted and prevented from voting...

[Arazi]

1. Unfortunately he'll win. I'm an election judge and you can't prevent a person from voting

He's a evil motherfucker for endangering the other poll workers and citizens who also came to vote that day but you absolutely cannot block a person from voting (unless they violate other laws about electioneering, signature doesn't match etc)

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. What if he'd walked in naked?

Would requiring him to put on pants before he can vote be a violation of his right to vote? How about airlines which are blacklisting those who won't wear a mask during a flight?

Here in Santa Fe, you need to be wearing a mask to enter stores or to vote. If you can't wear a mask (which is essentially total bullshit in the first place) then stay home. You should have gotten a mail-in vote. Or wear a mask.

[TheRealNorth]

3. I kind of thought about that too

If there is a "right" not to wear a mask, and gun-humpers have a right to bring guns to the polls, don't nudists have a right to "bare it all."

[marie999]

18. A man took off all his clothes at a Portland airport in protest and judge found him not guilty.

If you take off your clothes to protest that if people don't have to wear a mask you don't have to wear clothes cite the Portland decision.

[mr_lebowski]

6. Maybe I should try it and see what happens ... here in Little Provo, Arizona I'm sure it'll be

very well-received

Actually, a gold-sequined thong might be better. That way I'm not technically breaking the law. Just to see what happens.

I, of course, actually already voted though so it won't matter if I'm removed.

[EarlG]

8. What about if he's wearing campaign merchadise?

That's not allowed is it? Seems like there is precedent for telling a voter what they can and can't wear in a polling place.

[Arazi]

9. No he can't vote wearing campaign gear

[JanMichael]

12. An absence of sense, overly entitled, and no mask are campaign gear now. nt

[JanMichael]

11. "Here is a mail-in ballot. Put it in that big blue box over yonder"

"here is a broom closet. Go in there and fill out your card".

If it wasn't the day of the vote and other options are possible...Lots of ways to keep a asshole from infecting other people and still letting them vote (via Mail, or "over yonder" etcetera) for a orange nub.

[ehrnst]

14. What if he was smoking? What if he was carrying a gun? Or campaign materials to pass out?

[trueblue2007]

17. what if he walking into the polling place carrying dead man & his fangs were dripping blood?

[Demsrule86]

19. Bullshit...they have all sort of rules at polling places.

[struggle4progress]

4. "Swain .. and his 22-year-old son refused several times to wear masks, according to

charging documents. They were offered the option of voting at an outdoor booth, according to police and election officials"
Harford County man sues election board, sheriff following arrest for not wearing mask to vote

[bluestarone]

7. If this is right, i feel they

Have NO CASE, because they WERE NOT DENIED their right to vote.

[Arazi]

10. Now this is true

[JanMichael]

13. Aha. I doubted they just told him to fuck off. nt

[grumpyduck]

5. Good luck, asshole.

[ehrnst]

15. His FB page says he's retired "police" but the article says retired "corrections officer."

That's gotta be embarassing...

[Ferrets are Cool]

16. Repugs don't feel embarrassment

only entitlement.