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Police Officer not allowed to vote

Aaron1124

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2009
Messages
2,044
Location
Kent, Washington, USA
BANGOR, Maine — In the 18 years that he has been a police officer in Bangor, James Dearing couldn’t think of a single time when someone has asked him to turn over his firearm.

Until last Friday.

Dearing, who was patrolling his assigned beat near the Bangor Civic Center, decided to stop in and cast an early vote. He walked into the polling place in full uniform and stood in a short line with other voters.

One of the election officials told Dearing he couldn’t bring his gun inside. The officer said he thought it was a joke.

Election warden Wayne Mallar then approached Dearing and reiterated the request: Turn over your weapon to another officer or we can’t let you vote.

Dearing refused.

“I would never relinquish my weapon,” the officer said later.

Mallar stood his ground.

The officer said he left the civic center Friday feeling embarrassed and insulted. Dearing posted details of the incident on his Facebook page late Friday and immediately began receiving strong responses.

“One fellow officer, who is stationed in Iraq, said ‘What am I over here fighting for?’” Dearing said.

http://www.bangordailynews.com/stor...ote-after-refusing-to-surrender-weapon,157603
 

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
I am anxious to see how the biddies at my polling place react to my carry tomorrow!

Gotta watch out for the Justice Department. They only drop charges of voter intimidation against minorities.
 

Toad

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2006
Messages
387
Location
, Virginia, USA
If a regular citizen can not have their personal defense weapon on them while voting then I really don't have a problem with the request!
 

HeroHog

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2008
Messages
628
Location
Shreveport, LA
I think it's against the law here in Louisiana to carry into a polling place. I vote at the school so I couldn't carry even if it were legal.

I OCed when voting without issue last election and expect the same in the morning. I have yet to find any law making it illegal to carry when voting as long as it is legal to carry in that particular place otherwise.

speedyswheels.jpg
 

marrero jeff

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2010
Messages
222
Location
marrero, Louisiana, USA

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
Yeah, a link to the actual law would give us the opportunity to read the context and the black-letter law.

The last people I go to for a reading on what the law says is the police. Not that they are evil or anything, but they have a dog in the fight when it comes to what the law means, and that bias has often tainted their reading of the law.

In any case, I don't see anything in the link saying that the ban against CC at a polling place extends to OC.

I OCed at the polls in AL.
 
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