Yesterday, Tim Hazelo, a former chair of the Island County Republican Party, was convicted of unauthorized access to a voting center (a Class C Felony/$10K fine) and criminal trespass in the first degree (a Gross Misdemeanor/$1K fine) after refusing to wear a mask at the Island County Elections Office on November 4, 2024, during ballot counting observation.
Plaintiffs argued that the mask mandate rule, issued by the Defendant, Island County Auditor Sheilah Crider, and supported by the Island County Canvassing Board, exceeded the authority granted under state law and election regulations.
Crider implemented the policy for the Island County ballot processing room due to a Covid outbreak during the Aug 2024 primary election, where 10 of Crider’s 14 election staff got Covid and became ill. She wrote: “Because all of our volunteers are over the age of 65, and because we cannot afford to lose essential workers to perform the work of processing ballots, I have required that all staff, volunteers and observers in the ballot processing room wear a protective face mask.”
Witnesses say that a few of the election staff still had symptoms of Covid entering the Nov 2024 general election.
Other Republican election observers either wore masks in the ballot processing room or stood in the doorway without masks to observe, as allowed by Crider, during ballot counting observation.
Hazelo faces up to 5 years in jail for the unauthorized access charge and up to one year in jail for criminal trespass. Hazelo’s attorney argued the auditor lacked authority to enforce a health mask mandate, citing Washington Administrative Code (WAC) requirements that rules be provided in writing, which he argued did not include a mask mandate. Despite signs posted in the office indicating the requirement, Hazelo chose to enter the election observation room without a mask.
Nov 4, 2024, while serving as an approved election observer and having signed the “Official Observer and Visitor Rules,” Hazelo was approached by the Elections Supervisor and asked to wear a mask or leave.
After refusing to leave, an Island County Deputy Sheriff and a Coupeville Town Marshal showed up. Hazelo again refused, saying the Island County Auditor lacked the authority to enforce the mandate. Hazel left the building with them and was charged with a disorderly conduct citation (which was later dropped).
Yesterday the jury found him guilty after 2 1/2 hours of deliberation. Hazelo plans to appeal and is still involved in a civil lawsuit against the county, along with another observer, Tracy Abuhl, who faces similar charges. The civil suit, supported by the Silent Majority Foundation, challenges the auditor’s authority to impose health-related rules.
OF NOTE: Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks (who filed the charge) is a longtime, well-known far-leftist who does not like conservatives and has compared Trump supporters to the KKK, and has called Trump Supporters ‘Racist Bullies.’
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