A 40-year-old man was arrested and charged with voter intimidation after deputies say he yelled at and recorded citizens as they tried to vote at a Santa Rosa County polling site during Tuesday’s primary election, according to an arrest report.
Marc Manchon faces multiple charges stemming from the incident, including three counts of disturbing the peace, two counts of voter intimidation or suppression, battery, and resisting arrest.
Deputies Called to Polling Site
The confrontation happened around 10:30 a.m. at the Santa Rosa County Auditorium on Spikes Way in Milton. Deputies were dispatched after reports of a man recording video and yelling at civilians as they entered an active polling station.
When deputies arrived, they found Manchon "yelling and cussing at civilians who were entering and exiting the polling location," according to the arrest report. He was holding a cell phone mounted on a camera stick and appeared to be recording.
A polling clerk at the site told deputies Manchon had also been inside the building recording and yelling at civilians who were trying to enter, the report states.
Voters Say They Were Intimidated
Two citizens told deputies that Manchon’s behavior scared and intimidated them as they attempted to cast their ballots, according to the report.
The report also states that Manchon pushed a man who was trying to help poll workers get him to leave the building. When deputies attempted to investigate, Manchon reportedly refused to identify himself and then resisted arrest.
Deputies noted that the Santa Rosa County Auditorium was not Manchon’s assigned polling location. They also noted that Manchon has prior convictions for obstructing government operations and disorderly conduct out of Hillsborough, New Hampshire.
Released on Bond
Manchon was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail and released Wednesday after posting $17,500 bond.
Florida law prohibits voter intimidation, harassment, or interference with a voter’s right to cast a ballot, and polling places are required to remain free of disruptive conduct so voters can access the polls without fear of harassment. Local election officials rely on deputies stationed near polling sites to respond quickly to reports of disruptive behavior during active voting hours.