Firearm Prevents Police Officer From Casting Vote

[Maine CWP Training]

BANGOR, Maine - A Bangor police officer says he wasn't allowed to cast his ballot when an election warden refused to let him vote while wearing his service revolver.

James Dearing said he was patrolling his beat Friday when he stopped to vote at the Bangor Civic Center. He said that's where warden Wayne Mallar said he couldn't vote unless he turned over his weapon.

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[Maine CWP Training]

Bangor election warden dismissed over cop-gun flap

11/1/10

BANGOR, Maine — A city election official who refused to allow an armed, uniformed Bangor police officer to vote last week will not be working at the polls for the remainder of the 2010 elections.

Bangor City Clerk Patti Dubois, who is in charge of staffing the city’s lone polling place, the Bangor Civic Center, confirmed Monday that Wayne Mallar, a longtime election warden in Bangor, has been asked to stay home.

Dubois said she planned to contact the officer later Monday to apologize and ensure that he has another opportunity to vote.

Additional details associated with Mallar’s long-term status as an election official or the reasons behind his dismissal for the rest of this election cycle are considered a personnel matter, interim City Manager Bob Farrar said.

The incident in question happened late Friday afternoon. Officer James Dearing, who was patrolling his assigned beat near the civic center, decided to stop in and cast an early vote.

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[Rabbitcreekok]

I thought I had seen the height of stupidity, but I guess we have not seen the upper limit yet.

[wuzfuz]

When I lived in Arizona, you were also prevented from carrying a gun in a polling place. However, the Arizona Revised Statutes contained the provision that police officers were exempt from any prohibition on where guns could be carried. Personally, I still find this objectionable. I am a former deputy sheriff and quite thoroughly trained in firearms carry and safety. My weapon is no more likely to be used to commit a crime than a police officer's weapon. What is it that makes the cop's gun perfectly safe, while mine constitutes a threat? I saw a bumper sticker at a gun show I wanted to get. "My gun has killed fewer people than Ted Kennedy's car."

[Rabbitcreekok]

When I lived in Arizona, you were also prevented from carrying a gun in a polling place. However, the Arizona Revised Statutes contained the provision that police officers were exempt from any prohibition on where guns could be carried. Personally, I still find this objectionable. I am a former deputy sheriff and quite thoroughly trained in firearms carry and safety. My weapon is no more likely to be used to commit a crime than a police officer's weapon. What is it that makes the cop's gun perfectly safe, while mine constitutes a threat? I saw a bumper sticker at a gun show I wanted to get. "My gun has killed fewer people than Ted Kennedy's car."

I am surprised that the same stature that covers police officers does not cover deputy sheriffs. I may be wrong, but I think that the same CLEET certification covers both categories in Oklahoma.

[Maine CWP Training]

Any law abiding citizen may carry his or her firearm at the pols as long as the polling place is not a public school. Oc or cc~

[stingray2100]

Ok guys the polling places are gun free.

Police officers, military and private citizens are not allowed to carry in a voting location.

So I'm sorry to day that the officer just needed to secure his weapon in his patrol car or bicycle and vote.

That is no excuse to not vote. I'm calling BS on that one. SORRY.

[father-of-three]

The Black Panthers that were thugging at a polling place in Philadelphia in 2008 love gun free zones.

[BigSlick]

Ok guys the polling places are gun free.

Police officers, military and private citizens are not allowed to carry in a voting location.

So I'm sorry to day that the officer just needed to secure his weapon in his patrol car or bicycle and vote.

That is no excuse to not vote. I'm calling BS on that one. SORRY.

I have to agree with Stingray. If polling places are in fact gun free zones no matter who you are than the officer should have complied and stowed his weapon just like any one of us here would have done.

[Maine CWP Training]

Polling places are not gun free zones unless it is a public school.