Texas Election Secretary Attacked During Early Voting

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A San Antonio elections clerk was allegedly attacked late Thursday and the suspect, a voter, was arrested, officials said.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of injury to an elderly person, a criminal offense.

The incident is the first example of reported violence against an election worker this fall. Early voting began Monday in Texas.

According to a sheriff’s report, the suspect, 63-year-old Jesse Lutzenberger, walked into the polling place on San Antonio’s west side wearing a Make America Great Again hat in support of former President Donald Trump, which is considered election activity , and against the law in Texel. The poll worker, 69, asked Lutzenberger to remove the hat, which he did, officials said. Lutzenberger proceeded to cast his vote.

While still inside the polling place, Lutzenberger put the hat back on as he walked toward the door. The poll worker approached the man to tell him this was unacceptable and then began escorting the man out as they approached the doors of the venue.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said surveillance video showed Lutzenberger “throwing an arm back at the victim.”

“The victim seemed to push away from the suspect. At that point, the suspect turned around and threw several punches directly into the victim’s face,” Salazar said.

Salazar called on residents to remain calm while voting.

“Nothing is worth going to jail for,” Salzar said.

Emergency medical personnel responded to the incident and treated the election worker. His injuries were not life-threatening, Salazar said. Bexar County sheriff’s deputies said they were able to find Lutzenberger at a residence, where Lutzenberger himself said, “I’m the person you’re looking for.”

Lutzenberger was booked into the Bexar County Jail and released Friday on $30,000 bail. He is charged with a third-degree felony.

This week, deputies have had to respond to calls from people wearing clothing supporting political candidates at the polling place, Salazar said, although none of the others resulted in violence or arrest. Voters may not wear clothing that expresses support for a political candidate or within 100 feet of a polling place.

Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacquelyn Callanen said in a statement that she wants Bexar County voters to “remain calm and realize that more than 200,000 early voters cast ballots this past week, and most experiences have been positive,” said Callanen.

Election officials have been ready to respond to the violence at the polls for some time. These efforts have become a priority amid a contentious presidential election year.

This summer, the Texas Secretary of State’s office emphasized security and emergency preparedness during its annual statewide training for election officials.

The agency’s elections division offered tabletop exercises and workshops on de-escalation, incident response and emergency preparedness.

Counties across the state, including Bexar, Dallas and Harris, have developed an emergency and incident plan and made it part of poll worker training.

A May survey of election administrators by the Brennan Center found that 40% of respondents had taken steps to increase the physical security of election offices and polling places since 2020, and 38% reported experiencing harassment or abuse. Across the country, election offices are doing things like investing in ‘panic buttonsand training poll workers in de-escalation techniques as a result.

Natalia Contreras handles election administration and voting access for Votebeat in partnership with the Texas Tribune. Contact Natalia at [email protected]

Disclosure: The Texas Secretary of State has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.