Viral fight at Orangeburg County early voting site raises security concerns

ORANGEBURG, SC (WIS) – Last week's viral altercation at an early voting site in Orangeburg County has raised several questions about what is and isn't safe and acceptable at Election Day voting.

On Wednesday, a fight broke out on Louis Street in Orangeburg County between a poll worker and a man attempting to vote at an early polling location.

Orangeburg County officials have asked county poll workers and election officials not to comment on what happened in the fight.

The Orangeburg Department of Public Safety was the first responding agency. DPS said it has referred the investigation to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

According to an Orangeburg Department of Public Safety incident report, the man involved told officers the argument started over the hat he wore while voting that said, “Let's go, Brandon.”

The man — who filed the report with ODPS — claimed he was “hit in the face by a county employee involved in the election,” the incident report states.

A spokesman for SLED said SLED has not charged anyone, while the sheriff says it is focused on addressing concerns about security at the ballot box.

“The only conversation I want to have about Orangeburg County tomorrow is people going to the polls,” Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said.

Ravenell said deputies will patrol the surrounding areas of each voting precinct in Orangeburg County. His goal is to keep voters focused solely on voting.

“We don’t focus on any one political party. We are focused on everyone’s safety,” he said. “You know, if you go out and look at one of my patrol cars, you'll see a lot of writing on it. You don’t see him as a Republican, a Democrat or an independent.”

The Orangeburg Department of Public Safety said the investigation was referred to SLED to remain impartial – particularly because this incident was a polling location incident.

While Ravenell said deputies would patrol precincts, state law prohibits officers from being at a polling place unless there is an active threat to poll workers or voters.

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