> > Harford County man sues election board, sheriff following arrest for not > wearing mask to vote > By EMILY OPILO > <https://www.baltimoresun.com/mc-bio-emily-opilo-staff.html#nt=byline> > BALTIMORE SUN | > OCT 28, 2020 AT 10:48 AM > > <?subject=Harford%20County%20man%20sues%20election%20board%2C%20sheriff%20following%20arrest%20for%20not%20wearing%20mask%20to%20vote&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.baltimoresun.com%2Fpolitics%2Felections%2Fbs-pr-md-pol-mask-lawsuit-20201028-ngqagdhbujbz7fc7fifebqbmu4-story.html> > [image: A Fallston man has sued the Harford County Board of Elections and > county Sheriff Jeffery Gahler following his arrest this week as he > attempted to vote without a face mask. Daniel Swain 52, is shown in a > handout photo from the sheriff's office.] > A Fallston man has sued the Harford County Board of Elections and county > Sheriff Jeffery Gahler following his arrest this week as he attempted to > vote without a face mask. Daniel Swain 52, is shown in a handout photo from > the sheriff's office. (handout / HANDOUT) > > A Fallston man has sued the Harford County Board of Elections and county > Sheriff Jeffery Gahler following his arrest this week as he attempted to > vote without a face mask. > > Daniel Swain and his son, Luke Swain, are seeking a temporary restraining > order against the local board of elections; its acting director, Kimberley > Slusar, the sheriff and the Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company, which > hosted the voting center where deputies arrested Swain on Monday. > > Swain, 52, along with his 22-year-old son, went to the firehouse to vote, > but the pair refused to wear masks > <https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/elections/bs-pr-pol-harford-county-vote-face-mask-arrest-20201027-btc7vrmvj5g3zoljvev6cyqbxq-story.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+baltimoresun%2Ffeatures%2Flifestyle%2Fbal-backstory-rss2+%28Back+Story%29>, > according to charging documents. Election officials offered Swain, a former > Baltimore County Department of Corrections captain who retired this year, > the option of voting at an outdoor booth. Swain told three deputies that > the request was “unconstitutional” and said Maryland law allowed people to > vote inside without masks, the documents stated. > > Maryland remains under an order requiring anyone over the age of 5 to wear > face coverings while inside public spaces. > > Swain is represented in the lawsuit by attorney and Republican Del. Daniel > Cox, who earlier this year joined other legislators in suing Republican > Gov. Larry Hogan > <https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-md-cox-hogan-federal-court-20200503-6vyfomqmdfg3bpw2peiuje6g4a-story.html> > over his orders banning large gatherings and closing most businesses. > That suit argues the orders violate constitutional and federal laws > protecting commerce, freedom of assembly, the right to protest and the > right to practice their religion. > *[Related] Received? Accepted? How to decipher the status of your Maryland > vote-by-mail ballot. » > <https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/elections/bs-md-pol-ballot-status-20200606-5ldvxdqrlzavfbyu3zforhzpsm-story.html#nt=interstitial-auto>* > > Federal courts rejected a temporary restraining order sought by Cox and > his fellow plaintiffs, but the underlying lawsuit remains active. > > Cox represents parts of Carroll and Frederick counties in the House of > Delegates. > *[Related] Maryland Gov. Hogan: To fix crime, maybe ‘I’ll just run for > mayor of Baltimore' » > <https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-ci-hogan-baltimore-mayor-20201027-awoglgxf6rdl3n7juidwcverra-story.html#nt=interstitial-auto>* > > Cox filed Swain’s voting rights lawsuit on Tuesday in Harford County > Circuit Court, according to online records. > > Cox could not be immediately reached Wednesday for comment. Swain’s wife, > Gayle Swain, said Monday that the family would not be speaking to the media > on the advice of its attorney. > *[Related] Harford County voter arrested after refusing to wear a mask > inside polling place, police say » > <https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/elections/bs-pr-pol-harford-county-vote-face-mask-arrest-20201027-btc7vrmvj5g3zoljvev6cyqbxq-story.html#nt=interstitial-auto>* > > According to the charging documents, Swain refused several requests from > election officials and deputies to wear a mask. He and his son were asked > to leave the polling place, but only his son complied. > > “When it was clear there were no other options, Mr. Swain was placed under > arrest for the trespassing violation and the office of the Harford County > state’s attorney was contacted and advised to charge Mr. Swain for a > violation of the governor’s orders, in addition to the trespassing charge,” > the sheriff’s office said Tuesday in a Facebook post. > *[Related] A guide to Baltimore ballot questions and other referendums for > Maryland voters » > <https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/elections/bs-md-pol-ballot-questions-november-20201002-5smkbrfgsjdjnb2trrsdqwpwi4-story.html#nt=interstitial-auto>* > > Slusar, the county elections director, said Monday that Swain had not > voted yet, and noted he was “given ample opportunity” to do so. Swain is > not barred from any of the county’s four early voting centers, authorities > said. > > Slusar could not be immediately reached Wednesday for comment on the > lawsuit. > *[Related] Referendum would upend more than a century of governors' > control over budgets, give more power to legislators » > <https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/elections/bs-md-pol-ballot-question-1-20201011-xmvdgrrqsjgslf2u4yalskxlza-story.html#nt=interstitial-auto>* > > State election officials said Tuesday that voters must wear masks inside > voting centers, unless they have a disability or medical reason for being > unable to do so. Voters without a medical excuse who refuse a mask that is > offered to them must vote at a segregated voting booth. That booth may be > outside or in a different area of the voting center. > > Voters also still have the option of requesting an absentee ballot and > picking it up at local board of elections. > > Early voting began Monday in Maryland and continues through Nov. 2. > Election Day is Nov. 3. > <https://www.baltimoresun.com/mc-bio-emily-opilo-staff.html#nt=author-bio> > > > ---
Support News from Underground: https://bit.ly/NFUSupport Visit News from Underground: https://markcrispinmiller.com You received this email because you are subscribed to News from Underground. To unsubscribe from this email list, please go to: http://www.simplelists.com/confirm.php?u=pIdjNUgiG2h8yxbhC54SSy4SEskAoEMs For archives, please go to: https://archives.simplelists.com/nfu
