After the Virginia GOP and others claimed that voters in Virginia were told they would be prohibited from entering polling locations if they don’t wear a mask, Virginia Department of Elections Commissioner Chris Piper wrote on Tuesday that election workers cannot mandate masks as a requirement to vote.
“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,” Piper said in an email to other poll workers, posted online by Republican Party lawyer Harmeet K. Dhillon and former Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis
Citing state law, Piper said curbside voting is only available to individuals aged 65 and older or those with a disability. The Epoch Times could not immediately confirm the authenticity of Piper’s email to his staff.
Earlier in the day, the Virginia GOP said it received reports of voters who were told by election workers to wear a mask before entering polling locations.
The Virginia GOP did not elaborate on the details, including the polling locations that allegedly refused voters who weren’t wearing masks.
“Masks are NOT required to vote. There is no mask mandate in Virginia,” the party also said.
American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp, whose organization heads the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), wrote on Twitter that he was told that Virginia voters would be turned away if they showed up without a mask.
“I was told at my polling station I couldn’t vote without a mask. 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 tweeted.
“If voters do not have a mask they will be asked to wear one and possible could be offered a mask if there are extra and be offered the opportunity to vote curbside,” Piper said at the time “Ultimately, a voter will not be turned away if they are not wearing a mask but the department strongly encourages them to do so to keep themselves and others around them safe.”
The Virginia state GOP hasn’t immediately responded to a request for comment. The Virginia Department of Elections didn’t return multiple requests for comment.