Benson issued a directive to local election clerks statewide banning open carry of firearms in any hallway used by voters to enter or exit, or within 100 feet of any entrance to a building in which a polling place is located. Concealed carry is prohibited in any building where it’s already prohibited unless someone is authorized to do so.
Outside of 100 feet of a polling place, election inspectors are instructed to contact law enforcement if someone is acting in a way “that would tend to intimidate, hinder or impede voters on the way to the polls.”
The announcement comes amid nationwide concern over security at polling locations, as President Trump’s reelection campaign’s call for poll watchers to be dispatched across the country sparked fears of voter intimidation.
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