I commented this earlier today in a different thread, but I'll repost it here:

Something strange was going on at my polling place. For the first time ever, there was a "bouncer" at the door. He was demanding that people take an individually wrapped pen--"for infection prevention." He had cases of them stacked up, clearly prepared to supply them all day long. I declined. He insisted, actually blocking the door momentarily to try to force me to take the damn pen.

I told him that I had my own pen, and to get the hell out of my way, or I would move him. Finally he stepped aside.

Then the guy handing out ballots tried to pull the same shit. He refused to give me the ballot because I didn't have their specific pen. He tried to tell me that the machine wouldn't recognize any pen but that one. I told him he was full of it, and that in the 20 or so elections when I have voted in the past, the type of pen didn't matter.

I had to basically threaten the guy to get my ballot.

Very strange. I suspect fuckery and I am going to report it to the State Board of Elections.

Anybody else experience this?

Update: I called the State Board of Elections (North Carolina) and surprising got through to a live person. Then got a call back from a supervisor saying they would check it out. Also called NC GOP, and also talked to a live person.