Broward pushes for safety precautions
Commissioners want maskless voters kept apart
Will voters set aside coronavirus fears to cast their ballots in person? Pressure mounted Tuesday for Broward’s elections boss to do more to keep voters safe from COVID-19 at the polls.
Broward Supervisor of Elections Peter Antonacci is among the many election officials across Florida who don’t plan to require people to wear masks on Election Day. They say they cannot turn away any mask-less voters because no one can be deprived of their right to vote. They argue that voting is a federally protected right that overrules any counties’ mask laws.
But Broward County commissioners say that is not good enough. They worry that registered voters will fear getting in
“I recognize these people have a constitutional right to vote, but you can’t vote if you’re not wearing pants. So you can place restrictions on that right to vote.”
Broward Vice Mayor Steve Geller
fected and won’t show up to vote if they know people could be voting without masks, too.
There’s a heightened urgency to take COVID-19 precautions, as local governments across Florida grapple with reduced restrictions: Nearly two weeks ago, Gov. Ron DeSantis broadened the state’s reopening plan, which fully reopened bars and restaurants and lifted fines for notwearing masks. Health officials have warned a rise in infections may come as a result after state statistics have shown a downward trend in the spread of the virus.
Some prospective poll workers recently told the South Florida Sun Sentinel they no longer would volunteer for Election Day, worried people without masks would show up. The elections office said Tuesday it could not quantify how many poll workers wouldn’t be returning because of the mask policy.
South Florida has seen instances of people eager to not wear masks. Most recently last month, a group of anti-maskers ripped off their masks in protest while inside a Fort Lauderdale Target. Chris Nelson, an antimask activist who organized that protest, has said he plans to vote without a mask in Fort Lauderdale in November, and planned to encourage others to do the same.
After DeSantis lifted fines for masks, Nelson planned to burn the citation that county gave him for notwearing a mask at Target.
In a letter Tuesday, the commissioners urged the elections supervisor to take steps now to put voters at ease. They urged him to set up a separate place for maskless people to vote. “We want to ensure that every voter is able to cast a ballot without risking their health or their life,” their letter reads.
But the county didn’t persuade the elections supervisor, who rebuffed the county’s request. Creating a separate area for people without masks only would send the wrong message, an elections spokesman said.
The spokesman for the supervisor’s office, Steve Vancore, acknowledged how county law prohibits people without masks from entering public places. “To that end, we will not encourage maskless voters by opening up a separate line for them,” Vancore said. “We will stick to our current policy of reminding (if there are such persons) of the legal requirements, even providing masks for those who do not arrive with one.”
Broward elections officials have said they’ll take steps to battle COVID-19: In addition to offering masks, they’ll also have janitors at all early voting sites and neighborhood polling places for sanitation.
Late Tuesday, Broward County Mayor Dale Holness was frustrated with the election supervisor’s response. “I don’t understand,” he said. “Why not? I’m disappointed he doesn’t recognize the need for ease and safety.”
Commissioners still had another suggestion: Setting up drivethrough drop boxes for ballots. County officials said with drivethrough options, people don’t have to get out of their cars to drop off their ballot.
Vancore replied that voters will have the option of using drivethrough post office boxes to drop off their ballots.
Broward Vice Mayor Steve Geller said the county previously asked for additional drivethrough drop-boxes butwere told “it’s too much work.” Drop boxes are now at all early voting sites and drive-through options will only be available at two spots. Geller said hewants it expanded.
“These changes are needed to ensure all of our diverse Broward communities have access to [vote by-mail] drop boxes, including our minority, seniors, disabled, and veteran communities,” according to the county letter.
The county’s idea to keep antimaskers away fromother voters is modeled after a policy that’ll be used on Election Day by MiamiDade County.
There, if voters were to refuse using a mask or facial covering, they “will be given an opportunity to fill out a ballot or provisional ballot in a dedicated area outside the polling place,” Robert Rodriguez, the assistant deputy supervisor of elections, recently said.
Geller said the county has a right to separate people who won’t cooperate.
“Let them infect each other if they feel strongly about it, but they won’t be infecting the lawabiding citizens,” Geller said. “Going there without wearing a mask can use that to intimidate other voters intentionally … and the others who are not doing it intentionally still have that effect.”
Geller said the supervisor of elections could take a stronger stance.
“We don’t want them in the same lines,” he said. “I recognize these people have a constitutional right to vote, but you can’t vote if you’re not wearing pants. So you can place restrictions on that right to vote.”
Commissioner Mark Bogen said the county “has a duty to make sure the public is protected and we should take all the necessary measures tomake sure everyone who comes to vote in person is protected.
“I would be very disappointed if the supervisor of elections did not do everything it could to ensure all voters are protected.”