BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas counties are making their own rules about whether to require poll workers to wear masks as the public votes.
Secretary of State Scott Schwab has not issued a mandate requiring masks for poll workers statewide, even though the state spent $1.28 million to buy personal protective equipment for every polling location.
Schwab’s spokeswoman says every county election office works with its local health department to determine COVID-19 protocols. That’s created a patchwork of masking practices around the state. While the state’s more urban counties generally require poll workers to mask up, rural counties often don’t.
