Anti-Biden clothing sparked a standoff at an early voting center in Orangeburg

South Carolina’s top law enforcement agency is investigating an incident at an Orangeburg County early voting center Wednesday morning. The standoff occurred at the Orangeburg County Library voting center when the man, identified by public safety officers as 54-year-old Mark Allen Morris, was returned walking away from the polls and arguing with precinct workers. According to a redacted incident report from the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety, published by Columbia news station WIS10Morris told responding officers that the dispute started over his hat, which read “Let’s Go Brandon,” a conservative slogan against President Joe Biden.

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

Learn the dos and don’ts of voting: Security of polling stations, early voting is the most important thing for representatives of election bodies and organizations

The event was recorded by a witnesswho saw the argument turn physical when Morris poked a poll worker in the forehead and she hit him back.

According to spokeswoman Renee Wunderlich, the incident is being investigated by SLED. The investigation is ongoing. The Democratic Party of South Carolina issued a statement on Thursday following the incident. “The law is clear: no campaign materials or clothing are allowed within 500 feet of a polling place to ensure a fair vote without intimidation. It is outrageous to see this type of aggression escalate into a physical confrontation with poll workers, especially when many of our poll managers are dedicated, senior volunteers who are simply there to ensure a smooth election process. This incident underscores the need to get more people involved in working with our full-time election officials to ensure our elections are efficient and free of physical intimidation,” said South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Crystal Spain. “We urge everyone to remember the importance of respect in our democratic process and to show respect for the people who work hard to ensure that everyone in South Carolina has the right to vote.” Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell posted a statement on the office’s Facebook page Thursday. “The safety and security of all citizens, regardless of political affiliation, is a top priority for me. As public servants, we want everyone to have the freedom to exercise their right to vote without intimidation or fear, and for our poll workers to be able to perform their civic duty without violence or harassment. I have developed a plan with my team to ensure a visible presence in the constituency starting tomorrow until November 5th when our constituency is holding elections. The increased presence will allow us to quickly respond to calls from survey managers, should they arise.”

In South Carolina, early voting will continue until Saturday.

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

This article originally appeared on the Herald-Journal: ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ Hat Causes Fight at Orangeburg Poll