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A short but shocking video is now at the center of a police probe after an older man is seen verbally attacking and then striking an 18-year-old Turning Point Action volunteer outside a polling place in Laconia, New Hampshire. The clip has been shared widely on social media and has local officials scrambling to respond to what many are calling election-day violence at the polls.
What the video shows
The footage shows the older man screaming at the young volunteer, raising a middle finger, and then appearing to backhand the volunteer in the head. Turning Point Action posted the clip and called it an unprovoked assault on an 18-year-old volunteer who was staffing their table at the Ward 5 polling location at Woodland Heights Elementary School. Local reporting identifies the volunteer as Rainer Vesey and notes he was wearing Turning Point gear marked “FREEDOM.” The exchange is brief, ugly, and clear enough to make anyone who values free speech wince.
Police and local officials respond
Laconia Police Chief Matt Canfield confirmed officers were called to the scene and said, plainly, “It wasn’t a brush.” Police say they have identified the older man and plan to interview him, but they haven’t released his name and no charges have been filed yet. New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan visited the site and reminded voters there is “no place” for assaults at polling locations. Laconia Mayor Mike Bordes also condemned the incident as “disgusting.” In short: the clip is prompting a real investigation, not just hot takes on social media.
Law and common sense
Under New Hampshire law, a forceful slap or backhand can meet the state’s simple assault statute (RSA 631:2-a), and it’s the sort of act prosecutors can and should treat seriously. Whether charges are filed will depend on witness statements, the victim’s willingness to press charges, and the results of police interviews. If we believe in the rule of law — and we should — this shouldn’t be handled as a political football. It should be handled as a criminal act.
Why conservatives — and all voters — should care
This isn’t just about one angry man or one frightened volunteer. It’s about the safety of citizens who show up to do political work on Election Day. Conservative volunteers and grassroots groups are on the ground across the country; they deserve protection from intimidation and violence. If the left can excuse or shrug off behavior like this while expecting conservatives to stay inside and be polite, that’s not fairness — it’s cowardice. Local prosecutors should follow the evidence, hold the assailant accountable, and send a simple message: assaults at the polls will not be tolerated.
