Townsend voting protocols section off voters refusing masks
By Seth Farley
Observer Contributor
Townsend, Massachusetts’ voting protocol for 2020 states that, while they advise that all who wish to vote in person to wear masks when entering Memorial Hall, those who do not wear masks will be directed to a precinct where they will wait until all other voters have left.
Kathleen Spofford, Townsend Town Clerk states that the reason non mask wearers will not be removed from the voting precincts is because the town believes it would be a violation of citizen’s voting rights. Spofford also mentions that the town of Townsend is expecting a record low turnout for in person voting this election.
The allowance of non-mask wearers in town hall is unlike the recent protocols given out by surrounding towns. The bordering town of Groton, MA recently posted a press release on their website regarding COVID-19 on October 6th. The letter stated that door to door trick or treating would be prohibited this year, and that the mandate for all persons to wear a mask inside any public building in town is still in effect. Other neighboring towns such as Lunenburg and Pepperell have also recently released info regarding in person voting, but did not mention any protocol for mask wearing, or social distancing.
States around the U.S have been given a tough task trying to balance mask wearing and limiting the spread of COVID-19, while trying not to interfere with any citizen’s right to vote. Many states like Massachusetts are hoping that citizens will make the right decision, and that “very few accommodations needed to be made for those not wearing masks” according to Deborah O’Malley, a Massachusetts spokesperson.
Data from a Mass.gov COVID-19 report released on October 20th shows that there have been over 15,000 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Worcester County. A July 30th article in the Worcester Telegram detailing COVID cases by town showed that only 35 cases have been reported in Townsend, however recent data from the same Mass.gov data report shows that 6 new cases have been reported in Townsend in the past 14 days, putting the town at moderate risk for it’s population. There are over 70 towns in the state of Massachusetts that have not recorded any cases in the last 14 days. Over one third of the towns in Massachusetts have a lower daily incidence rate than the town of Townsend. With the 2020 presidential election just weeks away, many town and city officials across America have been tasked to figure out safe ways of handling in-person voting during a pandemic. While millions of Americans exercise their right to vote in the coming weeks, many are choosing to vote by mail to avoid the long lines, and the risk of being infected by COVID-19.
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