The Election 2016 will go down as the most emotionally driven and controversial in recent American history. After months of campaigning, Election Day has arrived which has caused problems at some polling stations.
Trouble at the polls
Ever since Donald Trump announced his campaign for president, his supporters have been known to engage in violent behavior in his defense. During the primary season, it was common to find fights break out between Trump supporters and protesters at various rallies, leading to one event in Chicago being canceled due to the serious threat of violence.
As his poll numbers have been on the decline over the last month, Trump has pushed the message of a "rigged election," accusing the media of working behind the scenes with the Hillary Clinton campaign, despite no evidence to back up his claim. As reported by Raw Story on November 8, the threat of potential election fraud has caused violence at the polls.
Trump supporter arrested after pulling gun at Florida polling station https://t.co/KMVee1cF21 pic.twitter.com/jDvDxPutLM
— Raw Story (@RawStory) November 8, 2016
Originally reported by local WPTV-TV in Palm Beach County in Florida, a Trump supporter has been arrested after pulling a gun out during an argument with another voter.
The incident took place at the Royal Palm Presbyterian Church, but was quickly taken care of by local authorities. The Trump supporter, described as a white male with a "Make America Great Again" hat, was encouraging people to cast their vote for the former host of "The Apprentice."
@PBCountySheriff Stay safe
— Debbi Daly Roelandts (@debsusan53) November 8, 2016
In Jupiter, Florida, Raw Story cited local station WPBF that described a disturbing incident.
Donna Tatlici was handing out information about the Trump campaign, when Tom Garrecht lashed out, screaming "I don't need anyone to tell me who to vote for." Conflicting reports detail the situation in different ways, but Garrecht allegedly aggressively walked toward Tatlici, who then sprayed him in the face with pepper spray. Garrecht called the altercation "absurd," and claims he was attacked first before he defended himself by taking her to the ground.
Trump supporter pepper sprays voter at Florida polling location https://t.co/AMzlOGiAPE pic.twitter.com/a04rvuQYIR
— Raw Story (@RawStory) November 8, 2016
Election countdown
As polls begin to close around the country, the consensus is that Clinton will do enough to reach the required 270 electoral votes needed for victory. The first round of exit polls provide positive news for the Clinton campaign, showing large gains with minority voters, as well as closing the gap with older Americans and white males, demographics who traditionally side with Republicans.
