The Virginia Department of Elections says wearing a mask while voting in-person is strongly encouraged but not required.
The policy clarification comes as Gov. Ralph Northam signs a new bill into law giving his Administration more options to enforce the state’s mask mandate.
Officials say Virginia law already prohibited a qualified voter from being “hindered or delayed.” Hanover County Director of Elections Teri Smithson said that definition includes turning people away from the polls for refusing to wear a face covering. Smithson said their goal is to balance public health and voter access.
“People have the right to cast a ballot unimpeded so, whether they’re in a mask or not in a mask, I’m not going to disenfranchise them,” Smithson said.