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Florida

Florida poll worker fired for allegedly discouraging a Democrat from voting

The chairwoman of the county Democratic Party likened the incident to 'voter suppression'

By Bradford Betz Fox News
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A Naples, Fla., poll worker has been fired for allegedly telling a Democratic voter Friday that she could not cast her ballot, according to a report.

The Collier County Supervisor of Elections said the interaction took place at the North Collier Regional Park Center.

A poll worker wears personal protective equipment as she monitors a ballot drop box for mail-in ballots outside of a polling station during early voting, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, in Miami Beach, Fla. 

A poll worker wears personal protective equipment as she monitors a ballot drop box for mail-in ballots outside of a polling station during early voting, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, in Miami Beach, Fla.  (AP)

Ellen Hemrick, a Naples resident, said a poll worker began “aggressively” questioning her when she went to turn in her ballot at the polling site.

“I was aggressively asked why I wasn’t using the mail-in ballot, did I have it with me and do I have to surrender it,” said Hemrick.

Hemrick said the poll worker told her that she could not vote because she is a Democrat and it was a Republican primary.

“I said, ‘What do you mean? I can’t vote?’” Hemrick told local station WBBH-TV. “And she said ‘No! This a Republican primary! The Democrats had theirs in March’.”

Hemrick said she was eventually allowed to vote. Afterward, she called the Collier County Supervisor of Elections.

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A spokesperson for the group told WBBH-TV that the poll worker has been fired.

Annisa Karim, chairwoman of the Collier County Democratic Party, likened the incident to “voter suppression.”

“We have no way of knowing how many people were turned away and what happened to Ms. Hemrick was basically voter suppression,” Karim said. “This is a grave concern moving into the general election.”

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In a statement, the Collier County Supervisor of Elections said “all voters should be able to have a pleasant voting experience and we are committed to ensuring that occurs in every election.”