Voters claims entry was denied due to 'Black Lives Matter' face mask
Voter denied entry
A Roswell woman tells FOX 5 she was not allowed into a polling place due to her Black Lives Matter face mask.
A woman claims she was initially denied entry at a Fulton County Voting Precinct because she was wearing a ‘Black Lives Matter’ face mask.
She said she was given the option to either remove it or turn it inside out.
“Voting is very important to me because at one point someone like me wasn’t allowed to vote,” Nicky Griffin said.
Nicky Griffin said she had trouble voting at the East Roswell Library but it wasn’t because of the long lines.
“I waited in line and as I got to the door to enter the poll I was told I couldn’t enter,” Griffin said.
She said it was because of her mask.
“I was told that because of this simple mask I couldn’t enter the polls because it was considered campaigning,” Griffin said.
Griffin pressed further.
“I said can you please show me where black lives or matter is on the ballot. If it’s not on the ballot then it’s not considered campaigning,” Griffin said.
After back and forth Griffin said she was finally allowed inside to vote.
Griffin doesn’t blame the poll workers but higher-ups who they say gave those instructions.
“Had I not have known my rights or had I not been willing to stand up I would have been turned away, forced to turn my mask inside out,” Griffin said.
So what are your rights at the polls?
According to The Office of the Secretary of State and the Poll Workers Manual, you are not allowed to wear anything that promotes a candidate, party, or political statement inside to vote.
Black Lives Matter shirts or masks are allowed inside.
“In general black lives matter doesn’t mean I’m Republican or Democratic,” Griffin said.
Griffin said she wanted to share her story in hopes to help the next person going to vote.
“You have the right to wear a black lives matter shirt. If you choose to wear a confederate flag then you have the right to do that. What you don’t have the right to do is wear something about someone on the ballot,” Griffin said.
Download the FOX 5 Atlanta app for breaking news and weather alerts.