Election Day tensions boiled over in Laconia, New Hampshire, after a heated confrontation outside a polling place ended with a Turning Point Action volunteer being slapped across the face. The incident, which was caught on camera and quickly spread online, has since led to the arrest of a 70-year-old man. Unsurprisingly, the footage has sparked plenty of discussion among New Hampshire residents, with many weighing in on the altercation and whether political disagreements should ever turn physical.
In the video shared on Reddit, the 70-year-old man can be seen standing outside the polling place, angrily confronting the young volunteer behind a stand. “You have no idea who I am! How dare you say I don’t know much,” he shouts, pointing his finger. Remaining calm, the volunteer replies, “You haven’t presented a single statistic.” The older man quickly fires back, “Neither have you! God damn. I cannot believe that [expletive].” Moments later, he raises his middle finger before slapping the volunteer across the face with the back of his hand and storming away.
According to a November 4 report by the Laconia Daily Sun, police identified the man as Stephen Redic, 70, of Laconia, who turned himself in on Wednesday morning. Investigators reviewed the footage and spoke with three witnesses before identifying Redic, who was subsequently charged with misdemeanor simple assault and disorderly conduct. He was released pending a December 10 court appearance. Laconia Police Chief Matt Canfield also confirmed that officers had reviewed the video, which supported the volunteer’s account of the confrontation.
The incident has also drawn concern from state officials. According to WMUR, New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan had visited the same polling place and spoken with the Turning Point volunteer shortly before the confrontation. Addressing the incident, Scanlan stressed that political tensions were no excuse for violence, saying there was “absolutely no reason to assault any type of individual at the polling place.” Despite the altercation, he described Election Day across the state as largely smooth.
New Hampshire Residents Condemn Slapping of Turning Point Volunteer at Laconia Polling Place
The footage has sparked a heated discussion on Reddit’s r/NewHampshire community, where many commenters condemned the physical confrontation regardless of their political views. “I hate them but you can’t do that. Assault and battery right there,” one user declared, echoing the sentiment behind the headline. Another was equally firm, writing, “Point, laugh, heckle, do that all you want. Don’t touch people.” A third commenter, who said they had voted Democrat, expressed frustration with people encouraging political violence, arguing, “This isn’t healthy.”
Others brought a little sarcasm to the discussion. “Live free or die……and hit people you disagree with,” one user remarked, putting a pointed twist on New Hampshire’s famous state motto. Another criticized how quickly the argument turned physical, writing, “Reacting to a disagreement with anger and violence is beyond hypocritical, toxic, and accomplished nothing.” Meanwhile, one commenter summed up their position simply: “you don’t touch people. Period.”
