N.H. voter allegedly punched poll worker who tried to free jammed ballot

A New Hampshire voter is facing charges after allegedly assaulting an election official who tried to help dislodge her jammed ballot, according to officials.

Tina Thomas, 52, was arrested Tuesday and charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct for allegedly punching ballot worker and interim town moderator Jonathan Wood at the Raymond town polling center, WMUR reported.

Thomas reportedly became agitated when a ballot machine at the Iber Holmes Gove Middle School rejected her paper ballot multiple times. Apparently frustrated, Thomas folded the ballot and pushed it into the machine, causing it to malfunction, according to the news station.

When Wood tried to remove the jammed ballot, Thomas allegedly struck him in the face, causing a bloody nose, according to officials. Police at the polling center intervened and took Thomas into custody.

Wood told the news outlet that he went back to helping voters cast their ballots shortly after the incident. 

Thomas was released on bail. WMUR reported that the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Election Law Unit is still investigating the incident with local police. 

A study by the Brennan Center for Justice found that 17 percent of election workers personally dealt with threats in 2022, while 77 percent of poll workers said they felt threats against them have increased in recent years.