ORANGEBURG, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) – Authorities in South Carolina are investigating after an altercation broke out at an early voting location Wednesday in Orangeburg County.
The dispute was between a man wearing a politized hat and poll workers.
According to video sent to WIS, the man wearing a “Let‘s go Brandon” hat was cursing at a poll worker when he was told he couldn’t vote at the Orangeburg County site.
In the video, the poll workers can be heard telling the man to take his hat “outside.”
One poll worker said they cannot serve him and called for the next voter in line. The man then threw his hat in the direction of the person in line to vote, according to the video.
After that, the altercation escalated and a poll worker appeared to strike the man, according to the video.
Officials at the early voting location appeared to hold the man back while he approached the poll workers.
The Orangeburg County Department of Public Safety reportedly responded to the fight.
South Carolina law restricts what people can wear to the polling locations. Voters are not allowed to wear anything that displays a political party, candidate name or ballot issue.
The law says the “poll manager shall use every reasonable means to keep the area within five hundred feet of any such entrance clear of political literature and displays, and the county and municipal law enforcement officers, upon request of a poll manager, shall remove or cause to be removed any material within five hundred feet of any such entrance distributed or displayed in violation of this section.”
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is now investigating the incident.
Early voting in South Carolina takes place until Nov. 2.
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