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2 poll challengers, one donning a Halloween mask, escorted from Detroit's TCF Center

Posted at 6:56 PM, Nov 02, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-02 18:56:04-05

The day before the election and a record number of absentee ballots are being processed and ready for counting. Hundreds of challengers are also watching the process closely, ready to take legal action if there are problems with votes.

In Detroit, two of those challengers were kicked out for what they wouldn't do to be safe.

Detroit's TCF Center is the biggest counting location in Michigan. Everybody who comes in has to go through COVID screening and a temperature check, and get stickers to show they're approved.

Two challengers had problems with those safety measures.

A man without a mask was told he must have one to stay at the center. So he put on a full face mask from the movie Halloween. He was told he still had to leave.

In a second incident, another challenger was also tossed out because she refused to cover her nose with her mask.

Hundreds of election workers are at the center processing hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots and absentee ballots. Challengers are here from both political parties and special interest groups. By law, they are allowed to watch ballots being opened and take notes on any problems that can turn into litigation.

Challenged ballots are still counted, but are marked and can be removed from the counts later.

All over the state, this is what a record turnout looks like.