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Chaos erupts in Detroit as poll challengers are denied access due to COVID safety measures

Posted at 6:22 PM, Nov 04, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-04 18:22:39-05

Dozens of people are gathering outside of the TCF Center in Downtown Detroit, trying to get inside to challenge votes which are being counted.

People outside of the center say they are not being let in to challenge the votes. The Detroit Health Department said TCF Center is at capacity and that's what police are enforcing.

Republicans are hoping to challenge the vote and claimed they were unfairly being kept outside where the absentee ballots are being counted. Hundreds of challengers are already inside TCF Center.

Video from our photographer inside the center showed one poll challenger being escorted out of the TCF Center to cheers.

Poll challenger escorted out of TCF Center

A tweet from MLive reporter Malachi Barrett appeared to show an email from Macomb County Republicans urging challengers to get to the TCF Center today.

While Republicans are claiming they aren't being allowed in, officials say that both Democratic and Republican challengers are both not being allowed in due to capacity, and it's not a partisan issue.