COVINGTON â A dispute over what is an effective face covering to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has taken on political undertones in Newton County. Democrats monitoring the Jan. 5 runoff election absentee ballot process at the Newton County Administration Building walked out for the second day in a row Tuesday, claiming that their Republican counterparts are compromising their health and safety with improper face covering. D. Ryan Barrett Sr., chairman of the Newton County Democratic Party, said there was a confrontation Monday between the Democratic monitors and the two GOP appointees, who he said were wearing masks covering only their mouths. On Tuesday, Barrett said one of the GOP representatives was wearing a faceshield, which he said under CDC guidelines does not provide adequate protection from the spread of COVID-19.