Outrage At The Polls – Teen Hit

Voters at polling booths inside a gymnasium — Photo: Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock

Video from a New Hampshire polling place shows a 70-year-old man striking an 18-year-old Turning Point Action volunteer across the face.

Story Highlights

Police obtained probable cause and arrested the suspect after reviewing video and witnesses.
Officers charged the man with misdemeanor simple assault and disorderly conduct.
The incident happened at the Woodland Heights polling site in Laconia.
The accused later said the clip shows only part of the exchange but apologized for his actions.

Police Say Video And Witnesses Supported An Arrest

Laconia investigators said they reviewed video, interviewed witnesses, and developed probable cause for an arrest after Election Day. Police secured a warrant and the 70-year-old suspect, identified as Stephen Redic, surrendered the next morning. Officers booked him in connection with the strike caught on camera. The Union Leader reported the timeline and steps police took before the surrender, which happened shortly before 8 a.m. on Wednesday, the day after the vote.

Officials charged Redic with misdemeanor simple assault and a disorderly-conduct violation. The charge stems from physical contact made outside the Ward 5 polling location. Local reports state that his arraignment was scheduled for December 10. Those details come from the Laconia Daily Sun and other regional outlets that covered the case after the video spread online and prompted a quick investigation by city police.

What The Viral Clip Appears To Show At The Polls

Reports describe the clip showing a heated exchange near the Woodland Heights polling site in Laconia. The older man raises his voice, makes an obscene gesture, and then appears to backhand the teen volunteer across the face before walking away. The teen, identified as Turning Point Action volunteer Rainer Vesey, told police the man grew “very aggressive” in the moments before the strike, according to local reporting on the incident.

Coverage also notes that the exchange involved a Turning Point Action member doing get-out-the-vote work outside the polling place. That detail matters because election areas should be safe for every voter and volunteer, regardless of viewpoint. The reports do not quote the suspect stating a political motive for the slap. The known facts establish the strike and the charges; they do not prove why the suspect chose to hit the teen.

Known Facts, Legal Status, And Civic Standards

Police actions indicate a straightforward case: video, witnesses, and an arrest on probable cause. Redic later said the video shows only part of the story, but he also called his own actions “inexcusable” and apologized in local coverage. The case sits at the charge stage, not a conviction. Courts will sort the law. For citizens, the line is simple: no one should face violence for speaking, volunteering, or engaging in politics peacefully at a polling place.

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

Election season can be tense, but rules protect speech and safety for everyone. Calm debate is fine; a slap is not. Conservatives know this first-hand when activists meet anger in public spaces. This incident shows why communities must back law enforcement, keep polling sites secure, and defend free expression for all sides. Quick police work in Laconia sends that message. The standard is equal justice under the law, with zero tolerance for intimidation or assault at the ballot box.