Fights break out at Texas Polling Places

Tensions have been abnormally high during this 2014 Primary election cycle. The statewide campaigning has been vicious. The local campaigns in Texas are no different.

Fights have been breaking out at polling places all across Texas.

Over here in southeast Texas, two senior citizens got into a brawl.

Down in south Texas, supporters of opposing candidates got into a feud.


from KBMT 12 News:

ORANGE COUNTY -

"I thought he was going to beat me to death."

That's what 83-year-old Vidor resident Kenneth Young says was going through his mind Tuesday. The man Young says was beating him, 70-year-old Orange resident Jerry Wilson, isn't denying it.

"I hit him with everything I could hit him with... Mr. Young, in my opinion, got just a little bit less than he deserved," Wilson told 12News Wednesday.

It all started Tuesday afternoon when Wilson, a candidate for the Orange County Republican Party Chair, paid a visit to the voting location at the Raymond Gould Community Center in Vidor. Wilson says he was here to check on his campaign signs when he says he noticed something was wrong.

"The set of signs that I had put out had been taken down and thrown to the side, and had been replaced by two homemade signs. One of the homemade signs he's referring to encourages people not to vote for Wilson, calling him a 'RINO', a republican in name only.

Wilson says after he noticed his signs were not where he left them, he approached Young, who was sitting about 100 feet from the entrance handing out pamphlets and encouraging people to vote for certain candidates, including Wilson's opponent.

Wilson claims, "I asked him, I said 'Kenneth are you taking my signs down?' and he said 'Yes, what are you gonna do about it?'"

"He is a big liar, I never said one word to him," said Young. "He fell on me, started punching me, hitting me in the face... and he was really throwing punches, hard."

"It was a fight, and I wasn't going to hold anything back," said Wilson.

A bystander eventually pulled Wilson off of Young and law enforcement officers arrived minutes later. Wilson was charged with misdemeanor assault and is awaiting his court hearing. Young was taken to a nearby clinic and treated for minor injuries.

read the rest of the article at KBMT 12 News

from Valley Central Action News:

Crossing a mark on the ground 100 feet away from voting sites is against the law for campaign volunteers.

But in La Joya, a group claims they are being harassed for being too close to the curb.

"The situation now is that police say we are in the right of way," campaign volunteer Jose Hernandez said.

Hernandez said Tuesday, La Joya police asked him and other supporters for 92nd State District Court Judge candidate Rey Ortiz to remove their canopy from a grassy area.

They cooperated but today they are taking a stand. 

"We are not in violation of any laws," Hernandez said.

Hidalgo County Election Officials agree.

They told Action 4 News as long as volunteers do not cross the 100 foot marker; they are not violating any election laws.

Hernandez believes the police order was handed down by elected city officials who sit across the parking lot.

"For the second day, our volunteers have been harassed and have been bullied by the opponent party," he said.

The group includes La Joya city commissioners who all support rival candidate Luis Singleterry.

They take up most of the space in the parking lot and are the alleged bullies'.

read the rest of the article at Valley Central Action 4 News