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'Let's Go, Brandon' hat sparks fight at Orangeburg polling station

South Carolina's top law enforcement agency is investigating an incident at an early voting center in Orangeburg County on Wednesday morning. The confrontation took place at the Orangeburg County Library voting center when a man, identified by security officials as Mark Allen Morris, 54, was stopped from voting and argued with poll workers. According to a redacted Orangeburg Department of Public Safety incident report published by Columbia news station WIS10, Morris told responding officers that the argument started over his hat that read “Let's Go Brandon,” a conservative slogan against President Joe Biden.

South Carolina voters are prohibited by law from wearing political clothing to the polls, including clothing with candidate or party names or associated slogans.

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The incident was recorded by a witness who saw the argument turn into a physical altercation when Morris pushed a poll worker in the forehead and was hit by her in response.

The incident is being investigated by SLED, according to spokeswoman Renee Wunderlich. The investigation is ongoing. The South Carolina Democratic Party released a statement Thursday following the incident. “The law is clear: No campaign materials or campaign clothing are permitted within 500 feet of the polling place to ensure a fair, intimidation-free voting environment. It is outrageous to see this type of aggression escalate into a physical confrontation with election workers, especially when many of our election officials are dedicated, senior volunteers who are simply there to ensure our election process runs smoothly. The incident underscores the need to engage more people to work with our full-time election officials to ensure our elections run efficiently and are free from physical intimidation,” said Christale Spain, chairwoman of the South Carolina Democratic Party. “We urge everyone to remember the importance of respect in our democratic process and to be considerate of the people who work hard to ensure that everyone in South Carolina has the right to vote.” Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell , released a statement on the office's Facebook page Thursday. “The safety of all citizens, regardless of their political affiliation, is my top priority. As public servants, it is our desire that everyone has the freedom to exercise their right to vote without intimidation or fear, and that our poll workers can carry out their civic duty without violence and harassment. Together with my team, I have developed a plan to ensure that there is a visible presence across the county starting tomorrow, November 5th, when elections take place in our county. The increased presence will allow us to respond more quickly to election officer service requests if they arise.”

Early voting continues in South Carolina through Saturday.

Samantha Swann covers city news, development and culture in Spartanburg. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina Upstate and Greenville Technical College. Contact them at [email protected] or on Instagram at @sam_on_spartanburg.

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