Mr. Mysterious
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http://www.southbendtribune.com/breakingnews/posts/1908.html
Gun owner prevented from voting while carrying weapon
By CAROL DRAEGER
Tribune Staff Writer
A gun shop owner said he was denied the right to vote Tuesday morning while carrying a gun on his hip.
Len Grummell, owner of Len’s Gun Shop in South Bend, said a Democratic poll worker at Fire Station 5, 2221 Prairie Ave., told him he had to remove his gun belt before entering the building.
Rather than argue, Grummell said, he complied with the request, but he believes the poll worker should be fined for breaking the law.
Grummell said state law is “silent” on the issue of whether gun owners who have permits to carry guns can do so at polling places.
Tom Botkin, a Republican member of the St. Joseph County Election Board, said there is no definite rule in state law that bans guns at polling places. He researched the issue last year when area police officers were denied the right to vote while carrying their firearms.
Police officers and firefighters in uniform may carry their firearms while voting, but Indiana law doesn’t addresss other gun carriers specifically, he said.
“I can’t believe he needs the protection of his gun to vote,” said Botkin.
Grummell was not denied the right to vote, Botkin said. “He was entitled to vote and he got to vote,” Botkin said, adding, “It was a modest thing for someone to do to ask him to take off his gun.”
Botkin said Grummell stirs controversy every election. “This is not a new issue with him. Every year he wants to carry his gun and every year there is a conflict.”
Grummell said he plans to take the issue to court.
“Before I even came in the door, she was on the phone with officials . . . preventing me from voting unless I put my gun in my car,” Grummell said about the Democratic poll worker who told him to remove his gun.
Grummell said the Republican workers at the poll said nothing to him; the woman and elections judge who refused to let him inside until he removed his gun were both Democrats.
Grummell’s wife, who voted 30 minutes later, was apparently allowed to vote, even though she was carrying a gun in her purse, according to her husband.
“She wasn’t even questioned but I was specifically targeted,” Grummell said. “The crux is that I was targeted because they know I carry a gun.”
Gun owner prevented from voting while carrying weapon
By CAROL DRAEGER
Tribune Staff Writer
A gun shop owner said he was denied the right to vote Tuesday morning while carrying a gun on his hip.
Len Grummell, owner of Len’s Gun Shop in South Bend, said a Democratic poll worker at Fire Station 5, 2221 Prairie Ave., told him he had to remove his gun belt before entering the building.
Rather than argue, Grummell said, he complied with the request, but he believes the poll worker should be fined for breaking the law.
Grummell said state law is “silent” on the issue of whether gun owners who have permits to carry guns can do so at polling places.
Tom Botkin, a Republican member of the St. Joseph County Election Board, said there is no definite rule in state law that bans guns at polling places. He researched the issue last year when area police officers were denied the right to vote while carrying their firearms.
Police officers and firefighters in uniform may carry their firearms while voting, but Indiana law doesn’t addresss other gun carriers specifically, he said.
“I can’t believe he needs the protection of his gun to vote,” said Botkin.
Grummell was not denied the right to vote, Botkin said. “He was entitled to vote and he got to vote,” Botkin said, adding, “It was a modest thing for someone to do to ask him to take off his gun.”
Botkin said Grummell stirs controversy every election. “This is not a new issue with him. Every year he wants to carry his gun and every year there is a conflict.”
Grummell said he plans to take the issue to court.
“Before I even came in the door, she was on the phone with officials . . . preventing me from voting unless I put my gun in my car,” Grummell said about the Democratic poll worker who told him to remove his gun.
Grummell said the Republican workers at the poll said nothing to him; the woman and elections judge who refused to let him inside until he removed his gun were both Democrats.
Grummell’s wife, who voted 30 minutes later, was apparently allowed to vote, even though she was carrying a gun in her purse, according to her husband.
“She wasn’t even questioned but I was specifically targeted,” Grummell said. “The crux is that I was targeted because they know I carry a gun.”
