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What happens if an in-person voter in DC, Md. or Va. refuses to wear a mask?

Early, in-person voting starts Monday, Oct. 26 in Maryland; Tuesday, Oct. 27 in D.C. and continues in Virginia until Saturday, Oct. 31.

All three jurisdictions are telling residents to wear masks when voting in-person to protect against the spread of the coronavirus.

But can voters still go to the polls in person if they refuse to put one on? The answer is yes, no matter which part of the region.

“If someone shows up without a mask, we’ll have a mask for them. But if there’s an issue and they refuse to wear a mask they will be able to vote … outside of the voting center,” said Jim Shalleck, president of the Montgomery County Board of Elections. “We’re not going to let you in if you don’t have a mask.”

The same goes for the rest of Maryland.

In Virginia: “If voters do not have a mask they will be asked to wear one and possibly could be offered a mask if there are extra, and be offered the opportunity to vote curbside,” Jessica Bowman, deputy commissioner with the Virginia Department of Elections told WTOP via email.

Bowman added that ultimately, a voter will not be turned away if they are not wearing a mask.

It is a similar situation in D.C.

“A mask is required to vote in person at a Vote Center or Early Vote Center,” Board of Elections spokesman Nick Jacobs told WTOP in an email. “If a voter refuses to wear a mask, he/she may vote via curbside voting if that is available. If it is not available the voter will have to go to a location where it is.”

The city’s super vote centers — which will be set up to accommodate large crowds and proper social distancing — will not offer curbside voting.

Voters in Manchester choose a mayor to replace Andy Burnham, who left city hall for Downing Street

LONDON (AP) — Voters in the English city of Manchester are electing a new mayor Thursday to replace Andy Burnham, who quit the job to become Britain’s prime minister. It’s also chance for some 2 million voters to pass judgment on the governing Labour Party, whose sagging popularity Burnham hopes to revive. Polling stations are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with vote-counting starting Friday morning. Burnham was mayor of Greater Manchester for nine years until he won a special election for a seat in Parliament last month with the intention of challenging then- Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership. Burnham’s momentum spurred Starmer to announce he would resign after just two years in office. Burnham was the only candidate in Labour’s leadership election, and he became prime minister on July 20.
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