Video and police records show a 70-year-old man slapped an 18-year-old Turning Point Action volunteer at a New Hampshire polling site, leading to swift charges.
Story Highlights
- Video from the scene shows the man striking the teen volunteer at a polling place.
- Police reviewed evidence, interviewed witnesses, and secured an arrest warrant.
- The suspect surrendered and was charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct.
- The alleged incident targeted a Turning Point Action volunteer doing get-out-the-vote work.
Police say video and witness accounts supported arrest
Laconia police said they gathered video, spoke with witnesses, and developed probable cause after an Election Day clash at the Woodland Heights polling site. Investigators secured an arrest warrant and said the 70-year-old suspect then surrendered the next morning. Officers charged him with misdemeanor simple assault and a disorderly-conduct violation tied to a reported slap across the face of an 18-year-old Turning Point Action volunteer at the Ward 5 location.
Local reporting states the video shows a man raising his voice, making an obscene gesture, and striking the teen with the back of his hand, then walking away. The footage was shared by local officials and news outlets as the story spread on social media. The clip captured the apparent strike but not the full earlier exchange, according to coverage citing the man’s later comments about context.
Charges filed after Election Day confrontation
Police identified the teen as Turning Point Action volunteer Rainer Vesey. Reports say the dispute escalated during get-out-the-vote efforts outside the polling site. Officers charged the suspect with simple assault and disorderly conduct. An arraignment date was set in district court. Coverage notes that the case remains pending, and no court has ruled on guilt or motive at this stage. The reported conduct, however, met the threshold for charges under state law, based on police review.
The alleged victim told police the man became “very aggressive,” raised his voice, and then struck him across the face. Published accounts describe the sequence as a shouted exchange, an obscene hand gesture, and a slap, followed by the man leaving the scene. The reported details align with what the video appears to show, as summarized by local and regional outlets that reviewed the clip and spoke with officials and witnesses.
Election setting heightens concern for activists’ safety
The incident took place outside a polling site where campaigners and volunteers are often present within legal limits. Reports specify that the teen was working with Turning Point Action on voter outreach. While the charging records do not assert a political motive, the setting and the target raise safety concerns for people doing election work and civic advocacy. National surveys in recent years have also logged rising tensions around election activity and officials’ safety.
Turning Point Action volunteer Rainer Vesey, 18, and his brother Asher join @seanhannity after Rainer was slapped across the face by a 70-year-old man outside a New Hampshire polling place.
Rainer says the confrontation escalated after he questioned the man’s knowledge during a… pic.twitter.com/rJxbJgcYYV
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 6, 2026
Officials and community leaders urged calm and respect at polling places. Police emphasized that physical contact and disorderly behavior will draw charges, no matter who starts a heated debate. For conservatives, the message is clear: record interactions when safe, report threats, and let law enforcement handle violations. The law protects peaceful advocacy, and swift action here shows that order at the polls is not optional but enforced through the courts when needed.
Sources:
facebook.com, laconiadailysun.com, foxnews.com, bostonglobe.com, patch.com, marca.com
