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Reports of voter intimidation outside early-voting location near Lantana

'They were having folks shouting in their face about abortion,' Biden supporter says
Posted at 5:17 PM, Oct 26, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-26 18:40:17-04

LANTANA, Fla. — Tensions seem to be running high at some early-voting locations in Palm Beach County with Election Day only eight days away.

Outside the early-voting location at the library on Lantana Road, the emotion over the presidential election is on display in the line waiting to vote.

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"We know it's a spirited campaign and spirited time of year," Trump supporter Joey Soto said Monday outside the library.

Soto was among a group of Trump supporters that had some people complaining.

Joey Soto
Joey Soto was campaigning on Oct. 26, 2020, for President Trump outside the Lantana Road Branch Library.

Republican supporters insist they are not breaking any laws or intimidating and respecting the 150-foot rule on no campaigning near the voting site.

"I've been made aware of it, and I'm following the laws," Soto said.

Luis Garcia is a supporter of Joe Biden and said the shouting is voter intimidation.

"Several people called me and stated that they were feeling intimidated," Garcia said.

He claims incidents of political shouting may be crossing a line.

"They were having folks shouting in their face about abortion, about how they were supporting terrorists, two or three different people called today from incidents in the last hour and a half," said Garcia.

Luis Garcia
Luis Garcia, a supporter of Joe Biden, said he has received complaints from people about voter intimidation.

However, President Trump supporters insist they are doing nothing illegal or intimidating, staying outside the 150-foot zone around the polling place, which does not allow open campaigning.

"It was getting loud here," said Cindy Falco-Di Corrado, who was campaigning for Republican candidates. "Mostly shouting and people trying to control other people."

Elections supervisor Wendy Sartory Link said she heard about the complaints and takes them seriously.

"They'll stand at 150 feet and 1 inch, and they'll get on a megaphone, and we're not allowing that. If we learn about, that we're going in and stopping that because right into a voter's face is definitely harassment, and we're not going to have that," Sartory Link said.

Wendy Sartory Link
Palm Beach County Elections Supervisor Wendy Sartory Link says voter intimidation won't be tolerated at any site in the county.

In those cases, the supervisor of elections said those active campaigners are asked to leave the premises.

"We called the parties, both parties, both sides, and told them about some of the issues because we're getting calls," Sartory Link said.

Sartory Link said she also plans to add elections staff at the Lantana Road location and other polling sites to keep the peace.

The state division of elections said Monday that more than 3.8 million people have already voted by mail. Also, more than 2.2 million have voted early at the polls.

According to state election records, there are more than 14 million registered voters in the state.