Two ‘Thugs’ Try to Intimidate Peninsula Voters

Two men at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church polling place in Redwood City who were asking for voters’ IDs this morning have now left and may be trolling other polling places, according to the voting supervisor Marilyn Tinderholt.

The two men, described as "thug-looking," tall, and Caucasian with buzz-cut or shaved heads were wearing all black with dark sunglasses and standing in front of the polling place at 134 Hemlock Avenue with their arms crossed.

They carried a binder which they claimed had names and addresses of eligible voters, Tinderholt said. They were also asking voters to show their IDs, which is not a requirement to vote in the state of California, said volunteer Debra Prime. 

Tinderholt called the Elections office to confirm that the two men were not allowed to be there.

The two left as soon as the election workers called the Redwood City Police Department.

“We don’t want people thinking they have to have voter IDs,” Tinderholt said. “If anyone asks you for something like that, ignore them.”

She added that she was worried the two men might be moving on to other polling places, and that the Redwood City Police Department would keep an eye out for them around town.

If you have trouble exercising your right to vote today, call the Voter Protection Hotline: 1-800-311-VOTE. You can also call the South San Francisco City Clerk's Office at (650) 877-8518.

Contact the San Mateo Elections Office if you witness any problems at the polls today: David Tom, dtom@smcare.org, 650-312-5222.

Get the contact information of the voters so they can file an official complaint, as well as the names of any staff from the elections office, poll workers, etc. Any machine that has issues should be sequestered with numbered seals immediately.

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