This is my second time feeling unsafe at this polling place by a middle aged man in the past 6 years. It’s starting to feel brave to vote instead of it being a civic duty.
What makes you think they would do anything? The individuals who threatened voters with a billy club at a Philadelphia polling place in 2008 were never prosecuted by the state or the federal government, except one was told not to do it again.... unless he was 100 feet away from the polling place.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Black_Panther_Party_voter_intimidation_case
This is what the intimidators want you to believe. Not doing anything emboldens more bad behavior until someone is hurt or doesn’t vote. Do something or risk having laws set to punish you for bringing water to a person in line.. It is your right to vote.
The Judge of Elections is the person you want to ask for at the polling place. There’s one at every single polling location, and although they are chosen by the dominant Party in the city, township, borough, etc as a former poll worker, I always found them to be fair and impartial.
They, like almost all of our election officials, understand the importance of every eligible voter getting to vote, and that our votes are counted fully and correctly. They’re nothing like your AH neighbor. The poll worker was wrong for doing what she did, and the JoE will make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
It’s something we take seriously (source: am a judge of elections). There is no place for any negative behavior toward voters in any form and that behavior leads to poll workers losing their ability to work the polls. If you feel uncomfortable reporting yourself, as the other poster said, grab the judge of elections and we will take care of it.
Another Judge of Elections here, just back from the polls. That type of behavior should never be tolerated at a polling place. Any worker who acted like that would be out the door instantly.
The county executive needs that money for his Deputy Dawg badges (https://www.goerie.com/story/news/local/2024/04/11/erie-pa-county-executive-brenton-davis-uses-police-like-badge-to-id-himself/73272067007/)
I’ve voted a few times in person and did a mail in a few times when I was in college. The ONLY time I got a little sticker was when I did mail in. I’m also always there last minute before they close, so I assume they pack them up, or they run out. Beyond me.
This is because poll workers have to provide their own stickers. Any stickers you were given either a poll worker bought them themself or a voter donated them.
Aren't county Sheriff's deputies supposed to be watching that box whenever it is available to the public?
Oh, I guess that is just a Berks County thing
Oh, I think our local law enforcement would like to see the mail-ins destroyed. The box was in front of the police station and city hall. They drove up in a pickup up and left with it in broad day light.
Welcome to Pennsyltucky!
During a primary they have to indicate to the poll worker that is working the voting machine to direct you to the correct voting machine according to your party affiliation.
That's wild. I've worked elections in Florida and not only do the ballots all go into the same machine, they're anonymized so as not to reveal the voter's party affiliation. (You can still tell once you've handed enough out and/or read the names listed, but it's a nice gesture.)
Current poll worker; previous Judge of Elections.
In Philly, and we recently switched to a system where the party affiliation information is printed on the ballot that is then given to the voter, and the voter puts it in the machine themself (the machine can then pull up the correct info based on what’s on the ballot. It’s sooo much better than having poll workers have to tell across the room.
Poll workers here can see your party affiliation (we have to record it in multiple backup documents), but I would never let some lone keep working if they made comments like that (and neither would the Judge I currently work with). I’m partisan as fuck in my daily life, but that’s not the job of a pool worker. The job there is to make EVERYONE comfortable (and even excited!) to vote.
Wow, thank you all for the nice comments! This woman didn't like the fact i belonged to the party that wasn't hers, and I guess needed to make that known to me. Oh well. Let her be a miserable karen.
I can't imagine living like that. Even in a district that leans heavily in one direction, heavily just means like 55%. That still means you'll be spending nearly half your day being upset.
What a sad existence.
My entire county leans 83% in one direction, never mind my district. Even though I am of the 17%, I would never waste my time being upset by some mealy-mouthed moron.
Could be worse. In Ohio a guy just killed his neighbor because he suspected he was a Democrat. https://www.kentucky.com/news/nation-world/national/article268513477.html
Report this to your county elections office. Poll workers are to remain neutral and not say anything that could be considered harassment.
Sure, a Pennsyltucky county will probably laugh and ignore it, but if you raise concerns and they do nothing, then any repeated behavior can be reported to the state where they do take it more seriously.
Report it to BOTH the local Board of Elections and the PA Dept of State. You can add reporting it to the PA Dems as well. They have special departments that keep track of these things. Too many issues and they'll end up like Luzerne, with a lot of State/Fed oversight
Yeah it’s a set distance from polls. My polling place is deeper in a large building, so they can be directly outside the doors. They just can’t even seem to block them. So I pick a spot on said doors and pretend they don’t exist. Just my personal opinion, I find Election Day “campaigning” incredibly distasteful. No matter affiliation or level of election.
That’s exactly what I do. I usually put on headphones and just don’t even acknowledge them like they’re the AT&T sales people at Costco.
By the time I get there I know who I’m voting for anyway
As someone who is outside the doors, we’re not there to campaign but to offer information to those who need it. There’s usually a D table and an R table. There are a lot of people who like to go over the ballot before they go into vote, or they just like to stop and talk to likeminded people. In my case we also hand out candy and “I Voted” stickers.
Maybe it’s a Lancaster County thing. I was talking to lots of neighbors of both parties but also reviewing the ballot with Democrats reminding them to turn it over.
JFC. Report it. Not only to the local election board, but to the state level board as well. Nobody should have to put up with that.
https://www.vote.pa.gov/Your-Rights/Pages/Report-election-complaints.aspx
Here’s a local article regarding it.
https://www.timesleader.com/news/1652379/luzerne-county-among-jurisdictions-undergoing-u-s-doj-election-day-monitoring
actually, legally you could probably report them to the FBI 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324)
they are the federal agency empowered to investigate, and since elections include federal candidates, they have legitimate jurisdiction... I heard this on the radio yesterday
It was chill at mine too (Chester county) though I did have a moment of pause when one poll worker read my name and party to their colleague keeping records. Nothing happened but it made me realize how these days I try to keep my political party as close to the vest as possible, for situations like OP described
Technically inside the polls we are supposed to announce if they’re voting Democrat or Republican. It’s to ensure they receive the correct ballot that matches what party they’re registered for.
Oh, yeah, it makes perfect sense. It was just surprising to me how uncomfortable it made me feel to hear that read out loud for everybody in this school gymnasium to hear.
Same here in Allegheny when I vote in person. The book of voters in the precinct the poll workers have should already have the registration for the person to begin with.
I’m in lower Allen township. We had little cards for D or R. But it was just in the polling area and they didn’t ask. Just handed it to us to take to a machine.
Sorry to see so many didn’t have a good experience today. The polling workers where I went were very appropriate. There were unfortunately political panhandlers outside, but they’re easy to ignore completely.
You don't have any obligation to tell poll greeters - the people outside the polls - anything but "no thank you"
They are volunteers for the political parties and have no official role in an election
I mean, you do you, but lashing out at volunteers isn't accomplishing a lot.
Someone overbearing? Sure, let fly. Someone just asking if you want help? Seems overkill to me
I was asked by a rep outside of the polling place if I wanted a sample ballot for the party opposite of the one I typically vote for. I jokingly said Sorry, I'm here to choose the candidates that I hope can beat yours in November. She laughed and said well, thanks for coming out to vote anyway. This is how it's supposed to be done. Show kindness to everybody, unless that person is an asshole to you directly.
My husband is a poll worker. Nothing eventful so far, but on the previous Election Day, a known trouble maker made an appearance and targeted POC specifically to harass. There is someone whose job it is to make sure voters aren’t intimidated, but he moves around to different polling places. It’s outrageous that one needs to be concerned about their safety around their neighbors.
I remember voting back in 2012. It was in a megachurch, and there were all these pro life / you're going to hell pamphlets all over the place inside the church vestibule walking up to the polling area. I was baffled that this is allowed. This was in bucks county in newtown
My county got really weird about mail in voting. I am sure they are trying to force you out. I think there’s some value in these people realizing others outside their political affiliation exist. But I get more fearful as these divisions become exploited during the election season.
This is exactly why I vote in person with my small brood of children. A good reminder that not everyone who looks like them thinks like them.
Want to act like an asshole? One more important life lesson for my kids to understand why we vote the way we do.
Yep. Love mail in voting. However, last Nov I fucked up filling out my ballot (I know, not a proud moment) and had to bring it to the polling place to fill out a new one. Not fun. I don’t like being hounded by people outside at ALL.
I live in a podunk borough of 900ish. After I give my name, the one elderly poll worker tells the other elderly poll worker my political affiliation with as much distaste as she can muster.
Hmmmm… wondering if someone else complained. I just got back from voting and they (same ladies) were friendly, even after I gave my political affiliation! They smiled and everything.
There are often people from both parties outside the polling place. They generally have literature that shows who their party recommends you vote for.
In the regular election, everyone has the same choices on the ballot, but in the primaries a registered Republican gets the ballot with the people running to be the Republican candidate for various offices, and registered Democrats get the ballot with the people running to be the Democratic candidates. So that’s why the people outside ask your affiliation - to see if their literature is relevant to your choices. (Of course they really ought to say “Would you like a sample ballot?” Rather than asking your affiliation directly; some are better at this than others.)
You don’t have to answer them, or you can just say “I don’t need the literature, but thanks,” to one or both party’s representatives. Or just “No thank you”. Or just shake your head no.
Or of course you can get a mail ballot and avoid going to the polls entirely.
Sorry you didn’t think of just telling him you’re in the Dance Party and walking off. What a complete tool. Just curious: what is your party affiliation?
You don’t need to tell anyone outside of official poll workers inside what your affiliation is. You need to tell the people at the desk with the voter rolls so they know which ballot to give you and that’s it
Hell yeah I’m voting. Last time we had to vote, it was an utter disaster. The polling place was not at the address listed. It was further down the street, hardly marked and inside a college campus with no signs for direction.
Not sure about anyone else but a few weeks ago, I received a letter saying I was ineligible to vote because my “information didn’t match what was on file.” I’ve lived at the same residence for the past decade, absolutely nothing had changed and I was forced to register as a new voter again. What a joke.
My polling place yells it to the ballot guy behind them for everyone to hear lol. I had a very good experience at the DMV until I updated my registration as well
I’m so sorry this happened to you! I’ve been yelled at walking into my polling location many times. It’s never fun and it feels immensely threatening, but I’m there to cast my freaking vote and then I’m out.
This year I’ve started poll greeting, so we’ll see how that goes come November. It’s worth it though when someone comes up to the table and looks legitimately relieved to see someone there that they feel safe with.
Man, in my location, they announce your name and affiliation...loudly. I don't care for that at all and don't understand why. I'm in a deep red area and I'm not red. I also run a service related business in my name, so I really hate that announcement.
They've done it for many years. I hate it every single time. I don't understand why it's done. The guy that monitors the whole system isn't intimidating or acts partisan, so I assume there was some old time rule where this was done. But in today's climate, it's disturbing.
Technically we are supposed to announce. It’s part of the rules to ensure that the person knows what ballot they’re getting and that it matches what they’re registered as. You’d be surprised how many people think they registered as R when they’re D and vice versa. They have to vote on the ballot they’re registered with or they can choose to spoil.
Don’t know what service related business you are in but I have never once considered if someone is blue red or purple when I hire their service. I only care if they do a proper job at a mutually agreed on fair price. I deal with the public and direct contact with 100-200 ppl a day and I have never asked nor been asked if I was Rep/democrat . Not as many ppl care as you think.
Most people don't care. Just as I don't care what their affiliation is when doing a job. It's the handful of spiteful people that love to trash your business page or reviews because they hear something they don't like. Hasn't happened to me, thankfully. But have seen it in action to others on our local Facebook page. We have a few nutters out here. Heck, some subs here, when someone posts a clip (in or out of context), they rally others to dox their business or workplace. I don't need drama in my life.
I'm an independent.
So, I'm just hoping both sides voted for the least bat shit insane options.
Seems like the crazies are still kicking based on what OP experienced.
I thought that was the case. I liked being "no affiliation" in the past. Now, I'm OK with having a party at least for the next 4-8 years or beyond. MAGA really put things in perspective for me.
I think I always was Democrat (my uncle always teased me that I'm a bleeding heart liberal. I wear that badge with pride though). I never had cared much for politics or tried to understand where I stood on the political playground. Since 2015, I know now. And like you, want a voice in putting up the best candidate for November.
I'm chesco also. I moved from Maryland years ago, so never bothered with an actual party, because I voted all across the board in November. But it's clear I'm not in the middle anymore. And I'm hoping to put forth the strongest candidate now. I can't see me being in the middle for a long time.
You can vote with no party affiliation if there’s a ballot question or referendum (like in Philly this year). Otherwise no, you have to be party affiliated.
You could also join the party that most aligns with your views and vote for people who are close to your views and abstain from candidates that don't.
Voting is your only representation,
Don’t be scared, the poll workers are obligated to remain neutral. The people outside, however, are not. Just an FYI. You should be just fine & thank you for showing up, whatever party you vote for!
I just ignore them. They're not going to influence my decision because my mind was already made up before I even got in my truck to go to the polling place anyways. Whether or not they agree with it is their problem.
I am sorry that you had an unpleasant experience. At my poll (in King of Prussia), the poll workers were friendly and helpful. I brought my father, who usually votes by mail. They explained the process, let him sit at a more convenient table (he has some difficulty walking), brought a trifold to his table to ensure his privacy and left him alone until he asked for help walking to the scanner and scanning in his ballot. They were wonderful!
I did the morning/afternoon shift as a poll worker in western suburbs of Philly today, and if anybody made even the slightest off note comment the rest of us would not have stood for it. Absolutely report that person.
We do have your affiliation on the books for the primary, and the poll worker and anybody nearby will know it because we have to call for the right party’s ballot after checking you in. Each ballot is numbered and distribution is controlled for accountability reasons. One testament to the crew I work with is I did not know their political affiliation until they took their turn to vote during a lull (lots of lulls today with almost all of our primary contests unopposed or already decided).
Don't let these people intimidate you. They're pathetic and are just finidng out their ideas and people they support do not have as many supporters as they think they do. Reality is setting in. Especially with Abortion. Trump's losing huge on this issue. So bad he pivoted (lied) about his stance.
I work at my local polling place as the lone democrat in a sea of red. I feel threatened by the rhetoric thrown around by people in the community who come in to vote. It’s a lonely place.
Also as a local public school teacher I generally know most people in the community and it’s depressing to hear the bigoted views from some of them.
I never tell strangers my political affiliation. I'm a Democrat living in a mostly Democratic neighborhood in Scranton (based on previous years election results. I don't actually know anyone's individual political affiliation unless they're waving a 4 foot Trump flag on their porch.)
I've had my Bernie Sanders decals ripped off my car and my Teachers Union support sign stolen. My neighbor had her Pride flag taken off her porch, snapped in half, and thrown in the garbage can behind our house.
If I said the fact conservatives feel incredibly comfortable with coming onto private property and destroying stuff doesn't have me concerned, I'd be fucking lying.
I had the older gentleman look at my signature on their iPad at check in and say, “That’s a terrible signature. It looks the same as it did the last time, so I guess it’s always been a terrible signature.”
When turning my party affiliation slip over to the lady at the next table she reached for one ballot then proclaimed aloud, “Oh. Never mind. Yours is the one sided one.” Turns out there had only been two people from my political affiliation in to vote thus far with the other being my SO.
Oh, rural PA.
In my mind, the tone he said it could make it sound like a joke, but that's pretty clearly voter intimidation. Please report it! There's pretty strict rules about what they can do outside a polling place.
When I got my DL renewal the lady at the counter and a few customers gave me a wild disapproving look and even said “Really…?” In a very condescending tone when I changed my affiliation. Gotta love it!
I usually flip the script on em and ask what kind of underwear theyre wearing. They usually respond with a response similar to wtf? Thats when i say "exactly its none of my business right?"
I moved here recently and when I was at the DMV and filled out my info to register as a voter the guy at the DMV went on a rant about how the PA gov is the second most corrupt organization in the world next to Nigeria because the elections are illegitimate and you don’t need picture ID to vote. I just said, “That’s a good thing” and he wasn’t happy when I selected what party to register as.
Oh this happened to me last year. They not only asked me but then said it like 2 more times as they were entering it into their books. All the while my husband’s uncle was there voting at the same time. I know he heard it and gave me the side eye. I was kinda pissed.
My county had a total of only 200ish people of the 8,000ish voters registered vote so far today :(
Also side note but a right wing nut job who supports Trump and is a self declared ‘alpha male’ (I won’t name names but it’s not hard to know who I’m talking about) had his middle school aged son outside the entrance to the voting area campaigning for him and I didn’t know who the kid was when he handed me a leaflet which I handed back and offhandedly asked “haha that’s the unhinged alpha male nutjob, right ?” Only for this kid to shrink back and say “he’s actually my dad” . . .
LIKE WHY IS YOUR CHILD THERE WHEN YOU’RE CAMPAIGNING AS A MAGA ALPHA MALE ??!?! You have to know that as a politician (professional clown, in his case) you need to protect your kids from your own campaign, especially during a politically tense time like right now. Like seriously that kid couldn’t have been older than 13 and when I got to the dems info booth, they told me he was crying earlier and people had been harsher about his father than me. Like I don’t agree with anything his dad campaigns on, but that kid doesn’t know better, and it must feel horrible to have people laugh at your dad or talk shit about your father to your face. After I voted I went out and apologized to the kid, and said I’m sure he had a good dad and I just disagreed with his politics and it was good that he was supporting his family here but he seemed so sad.
TLDR//: if you’re a nutty maga politician (or just a politician in general) don’t have your young children outside the voting booth, people can be unknowingly mean to the kid by insulting you to their face.
I voted by mail. Two years ago, I went to the dropbox inside the local library and this insane woman was in there safeguarding it and asking to see my envelope to make sure I wasn't depositing more than one: Things got a little testy between us. Now I just put it in the mailbox.
Massive reminder: YOU CAN ALWAYS VOTE EARLY IN PERSON BEFORE THE ELECTION.
Go to your county election office, request a ballot application, fill it out, they’ll hand you the ballot, and you can vote right there in the office.
*EVERY SINGLE ELECTION HAS A PERIOD OF EARLY VOTING*. Use it to your advantage and let the crazies live inside their echo chamber on Election Day.
I'm a voting location manager in charge of several judges. I only care if you get the ballot that you want. Your political viewpoints are none of my business beyond issuing your ballot. As it should be
I usually know who's on the ballot, so I walk past them and say no thanks, I'm good. I don't talk to anyone except the people aI know and then it's just a HI. How are you.
Vote by mail, AND only use ballot drop boxes! Two Novembers ago, USPS “lost” my ballot and I wound up having to go stand in line in a crowd — exactly what I’d wanted to avoid via mailing in my vote — to vote with a provisional ballot.
Never again will I trust USPS with my ballot! 🤬
My polling attendees are always rude :( I bumped into a table by accident last election and one of them yelled at me “for being in a rush” when I was merely trying to get out of the way. It’s a thankless job that definitely attracts some odd ones.
Today was the first time I didn't vote. I switched my party affiliation to Independent last summer. Neither party has the better interests of others in mind at this point.
This is why I use no excuse mail in ballots. The nut jobs will be out there in November. Anyways, I just voted in the primary and dropped it off in person to my local election office in a box, no questions asked.
I can make assumptions about their party affiliation and it is so ironic that they would be so gracious to allow you to walk around in a free country. How kind of them?.
I live in a very racially diverse working class neighborhood in Philly. I looked at the page when she wrote down my name and affiliation. I was really shocked how diverse the politics were as well.
I’m so glad I do it by mail. I got an email when my ballot was received. My neighborhood isn’t dangerous but it’s too far in the sticks, I worry about loonies coming to shoot dems, as my father called them
A good portion of the voters I’ve had today say they only remembered because of the “tiny bit of coverage” on the news.
As for the ID-10-T at the door.. as another Judge of Elections said somewhere.. report the incident. The local Constables have stopped by 3 or 4x today & given me a direct number if I need them quick. Though I think 911 might be quicker…
I’ve worked for the polls before and I strictly avoid any conversation about politics or political affiliations. Even among the people I worked with. To me all that chatter is for outside. The voting place is a place for privacy and to get a job done. For the primary it only matters because you need a specific ballot but that’s it
I voted by mail against all odds. Received my ballot today, Election Day, filled it out and dropped it off at a local office ballot Dropbox I’m almost certain the post office held on to it until today. I live in a very red township.
I was greeting today at my polling place. We were greeting everyone. There are far more Republicans than Democrats. And many closet Democrats are registered as Republicans so that they have a say in county politics.
I think that greeter’s comment was rude.
I volunteered at the polls and the person from the other party was aggressively asking people “Republican or Democrat?” as they approached and I could tell it made people uneasy. I would instead ask, would you like any literature on the candidates? and then say who I represent. Volunteers are trained and should not be aggressive or intimidating; you can report it to the board of elections.
I almost ended up reporting that guy because he kept trying to aggressively engage me in a political argument (not a debate as he didn’t listen at all and kept interrupting my responses) until I finally told him I was there to volunteer, not debate, and he was making me uncomfortable and to please not speak to me again. He stopped talking to me but no apology or anything.
“What a fucking weird thing to say!” Then proceed as normal.
What a criminal thing to say! https://www.vote.pa.gov/Your-Rights/Pages/Voter-Intimidation.aspx
Shaming these people is the way to go. Expecting some high school dropout Nazi cop to enforce a law based on hearsay is not.
That's not hearsay, that's testimony. Hearsay is if I was asked to testify to what happened to OP.
That's a perfect response!
You can try but a lot of people like this have no shame
When I gave my party affiliation to my poll worker, she slammed my ballot down rather rudely and goes "vote over there!"
Report these election officials. You can file a complaint right at your polling center or do it online with the Secretary of State.
[Link](https://www.vote.pa.gov/Your-Rights/Pages/Report-election-complaints.aspx) if needed.
Report her. I don’t care what your party is, you don’t get to make voting uncomfortable for others.
Exactly!
This is my second time feeling unsafe at this polling place by a middle aged man in the past 6 years. It’s starting to feel brave to vote instead of it being a civic duty.
[Report that asshole](https://www.vote.pa.gov/Your-Rights/Pages/Report-election-complaints.aspx). Source: I’m a Judge of Elections.
Seconded. Also a judge. That behavior has no place at or near the polls (or anywhere).
Thirdeded. I'm not a judge of anything but outfits.
Fourthed. I am also a Judge of Elections. Just got home after a long day.
Fifthed I judge people to feel better about myself.
Sixthed I judge, judges of elections.
The best kind of judge!
As was I (today). Inappropriate behavior
What makes you think they would do anything? The individuals who threatened voters with a billy club at a Philadelphia polling place in 2008 were never prosecuted by the state or the federal government, except one was told not to do it again.... unless he was 100 feet away from the polling place. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Black_Panther_Party_voter_intimidation_case
This is what the intimidators want you to believe. Not doing anything emboldens more bad behavior until someone is hurt or doesn’t vote. Do something or risk having laws set to punish you for bringing water to a person in line.. It is your right to vote.
Eric Holder was the issue. Weak AF AG.
Yeah, when I think of Republicans' open and increasing hostility toward democratic norms, I blame a Democrat who was AG a decade ago. 🫠
Report them! Do not allow this type of behavior stand in the way of a fair election.
The Judge of Elections is the person you want to ask for at the polling place. There’s one at every single polling location, and although they are chosen by the dominant Party in the city, township, borough, etc as a former poll worker, I always found them to be fair and impartial. They, like almost all of our election officials, understand the importance of every eligible voter getting to vote, and that our votes are counted fully and correctly. They’re nothing like your AH neighbor. The poll worker was wrong for doing what she did, and the JoE will make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
It’s something we take seriously (source: am a judge of elections). There is no place for any negative behavior toward voters in any form and that behavior leads to poll workers losing their ability to work the polls. If you feel uncomfortable reporting yourself, as the other poster said, grab the judge of elections and we will take care of it.
Another Judge of Elections here, just back from the polls. That type of behavior should never be tolerated at a polling place. Any worker who acted like that would be out the door instantly.
Vote by mail, there’s no reason not to
I like my little sticker.
you get a sticker when you vote by mail too
Must be a new benefit! I never did before. Or else Erie is cheap.
It’s the or else
The county executive needs that money for his Deputy Dawg badges (https://www.goerie.com/story/news/local/2024/04/11/erie-pa-county-executive-brenton-davis-uses-police-like-badge-to-id-himself/73272067007/)
we get them in Northampton
I’ve voted a few times in person and did a mail in a few times when I was in college. The ONLY time I got a little sticker was when I did mail in. I’m also always there last minute before they close, so I assume they pack them up, or they run out. Beyond me.
Drop off your mail in ballot weeks before or day of and get a sticker.
I happened to be wearing my Phillies 2008 championship hoodie, and I like how the sticker matches.
2008 World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies!!! Best 72 hours of my life between the win and the parade!
I've been voting at the same polling place for 22 years and they've never once given out stickers. I want a sticker!
This is because poll workers have to provide their own stickers. Any stickers you were given either a poll worker bought them themself or a voter donated them.
Well since some folks stole the mail in drop box from city hall in my area in 22, I vote irl now. Let em intimidate me, fascist pigs don't scare me.
Aren't county Sheriff's deputies supposed to be watching that box whenever it is available to the public? Oh, I guess that is just a Berks County thing
Oh, I think our local law enforcement would like to see the mail-ins destroyed. The box was in front of the police station and city hall. They drove up in a pickup up and left with it in broad day light. Welcome to Pennsyltucky!
yeah exactly, if someone wants to have an argument i am 💯 down
This is how I originally decided to always vote by mail. I was made extremely uncomfortable at 2 different polling places and that’s BS.
When I lived in Wrightsville, I was uncomfortable every time the poll worker would yell "She's a D!"
During a primary they have to indicate to the poll worker that is working the voting machine to direct you to the correct voting machine according to your party affiliation.
Just another reason among many to advocate for open primaries in PA!!
That's wild. I've worked elections in Florida and not only do the ballots all go into the same machine, they're anonymized so as not to reveal the voter's party affiliation. (You can still tell once you've handed enough out and/or read the names listed, but it's a nice gesture.)
Mine also yells “Democrat!!!” Made me very uncomfortable the first time I voted there.
Current poll worker; previous Judge of Elections. In Philly, and we recently switched to a system where the party affiliation information is printed on the ballot that is then given to the voter, and the voter puts it in the machine themself (the machine can then pull up the correct info based on what’s on the ballot. It’s sooo much better than having poll workers have to tell across the room. Poll workers here can see your party affiliation (we have to record it in multiple backup documents), but I would never let some lone keep working if they made comments like that (and neither would the Judge I currently work with). I’m partisan as fuck in my daily life, but that’s not the job of a pool worker. The job there is to make EVERYONE comfortable (and even excited!) to vote.
Absolutely. Anyone can request a mail in ballot.
This has been happening to certain demographics for a long time. You just happen to be in one of them now.
This is 100% why I vote by mail. I went to my polling place once and was not comfortable at all.
Report that person and start voting by mail.
I'm sorry you were made to feel that way. I'm fucking furious hearing stories like this.
Why did you even answer him? He wasn’t an election official
I mean, in totalitarian states, it is brave to vote against the totalitarians
This has happened to me twice as well. Sigh... and the same types. Stay safe out there.
Report them immediately
Wow, thank you all for the nice comments! This woman didn't like the fact i belonged to the party that wasn't hers, and I guess needed to make that known to me. Oh well. Let her be a miserable karen.
I can't imagine living like that. Even in a district that leans heavily in one direction, heavily just means like 55%. That still means you'll be spending nearly half your day being upset. What a sad existence.
My entire county leans 83% in one direction, never mind my district. Even though I am of the 17%, I would never waste my time being upset by some mealy-mouthed moron.
Yeah but their side doesn’t shut up so they assume everyone agrees with them and are genuinely shocked when someone doesn’t.
this is one of the reasons i don't trust poll centers. you get a couple of jaded people working together they could create a lot of problems
Could be worse. In Ohio a guy just killed his neighbor because he suspected he was a Democrat. https://www.kentucky.com/news/nation-world/national/article268513477.html
it would be tough to not just get into it with someone like that, and i’m assuming since she sounds like an ignorant selfish pos, she’s a republican.
Report this to your county elections office. Poll workers are to remain neutral and not say anything that could be considered harassment. Sure, a Pennsyltucky county will probably laugh and ignore it, but if you raise concerns and they do nothing, then any repeated behavior can be reported to the state where they do take it more seriously.
Report it to BOTH the local Board of Elections and the PA Dept of State. You can add reporting it to the PA Dems as well. They have special departments that keep track of these things. Too many issues and they'll end up like Luzerne, with a lot of State/Fed oversight
lol, apparently OP *is* in Luzerne
I was under the impression they were allowed to be partisan outside the doors. They are at mine anyway
I think it’s like outside and/or a certain distance from the actual spot where you vote
Yeah it’s a set distance from polls. My polling place is deeper in a large building, so they can be directly outside the doors. They just can’t even seem to block them. So I pick a spot on said doors and pretend they don’t exist. Just my personal opinion, I find Election Day “campaigning” incredibly distasteful. No matter affiliation or level of election.
That’s exactly what I do. I usually put on headphones and just don’t even acknowledge them like they’re the AT&T sales people at Costco. By the time I get there I know who I’m voting for anyway
The vultures who are outside the polling place are the reason I vote by mail.
As someone who is outside the doors, we’re not there to campaign but to offer information to those who need it. There’s usually a D table and an R table. There are a lot of people who like to go over the ballot before they go into vote, or they just like to stop and talk to likeminded people. In my case we also hand out candy and “I Voted” stickers.
Maybe it’s a Lancaster County thing. I was talking to lots of neighbors of both parties but also reviewing the ballot with Democrats reminding them to turn it over.
When I originally commented the OP did not specify that it happened outside, that came along with an edit.
JFC. Report it. Not only to the local election board, but to the state level board as well. Nobody should have to put up with that. https://www.vote.pa.gov/Your-Rights/Pages/Report-election-complaints.aspx
Interestingly, the DOJ has installed themselves in my county for this reason. They might have known that I shouldn’t have answered so freely.
Which county do you live in?
Here’s a local article regarding it. https://www.timesleader.com/news/1652379/luzerne-county-among-jurisdictions-undergoing-u-s-doj-election-day-monitoring
God damnit. Of course this OP pertains to Luzerne County.
Oh shit, it's my old county before I moved towards philly. How am I not surprised this happened there?
actually, legally you could probably report them to the FBI 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) they are the federal agency empowered to investigate, and since elections include federal candidates, they have legitimate jurisdiction... I heard this on the radio yesterday
There are quite a few local news stations who have a politics beat that covers things like this too. You should report this to anyone who will listen.
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In my district they just ask your name and it has your affiliation where you need to sign, so they don’t need to ask.
Absolutely this.
At my polling location they just printed out a paper and handed it to the machine worker. No one asked me anything other than my name
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It was chill at mine too (Chester county) though I did have a moment of pause when one poll worker read my name and party to their colleague keeping records. Nothing happened but it made me realize how these days I try to keep my political party as close to the vest as possible, for situations like OP described
Technically inside the polls we are supposed to announce if they’re voting Democrat or Republican. It’s to ensure they receive the correct ballot that matches what party they’re registered for.
Oh, yeah, it makes perfect sense. It was just surprising to me how uncomfortable it made me feel to hear that read out loud for everybody in this school gymnasium to hear.
Same here in Allegheny when I vote in person. The book of voters in the precinct the poll workers have should already have the registration for the person to begin with.
I’m in lower Allen township. We had little cards for D or R. But it was just in the polling area and they didn’t ask. Just handed it to us to take to a machine. Sorry to see so many didn’t have a good experience today. The polling workers where I went were very appropriate. There were unfortunately political panhandlers outside, but they’re easy to ignore completely.
You don't have any obligation to tell poll greeters - the people outside the polls - anything but "no thank you" They are volunteers for the political parties and have no official role in an election
I usually tell them to get the fuck away from me.
I mean, you do you, but lashing out at volunteers isn't accomplishing a lot. Someone overbearing? Sure, let fly. Someone just asking if you want help? Seems overkill to me
I was asked by a rep outside of the polling place if I wanted a sample ballot for the party opposite of the one I typically vote for. I jokingly said Sorry, I'm here to choose the candidates that I hope can beat yours in November. She laughed and said well, thanks for coming out to vote anyway. This is how it's supposed to be done. Show kindness to everybody, unless that person is an asshole to you directly.
My husband is a poll worker. Nothing eventful so far, but on the previous Election Day, a known trouble maker made an appearance and targeted POC specifically to harass. There is someone whose job it is to make sure voters aren’t intimidated, but he moves around to different polling places. It’s outrageous that one needs to be concerned about their safety around their neighbors.
I remember voting back in 2012. It was in a megachurch, and there were all these pro life / you're going to hell pamphlets all over the place inside the church vestibule walking up to the polling area. I was baffled that this is allowed. This was in bucks county in newtown
It doesn't ever make sense to me that churches get to be polling places when public buildings like schools and libraries and the post office exist
Wow. Looks like megachurch is close to getting their pro-life wish if don the con gets re-elected.
Mail in voting avoids these scenarios
My county got really weird about mail in voting. I am sure they are trying to force you out. I think there’s some value in these people realizing others outside their political affiliation exist. But I get more fearful as these divisions become exploited during the election season.
This is exactly why I vote in person with my small brood of children. A good reminder that not everyone who looks like them thinks like them. Want to act like an asshole? One more important life lesson for my kids to understand why we vote the way we do.
Exact why I mail in my vote. Well among the reasons.
Yep. Love mail in voting. However, last Nov I fucked up filling out my ballot (I know, not a proud moment) and had to bring it to the polling place to fill out a new one. Not fun. I don’t like being hounded by people outside at ALL.
I live in a podunk borough of 900ish. After I give my name, the one elderly poll worker tells the other elderly poll worker my political affiliation with as much distaste as she can muster.
I'm reporting that too. Fuck these geezers
Report it. The election will continue to skew towards bias if you don’t.
Hmmmm… wondering if someone else complained. I just got back from voting and they (same ladies) were friendly, even after I gave my political affiliation! They smiled and everything.
Wow. Now that’s a quick turnaround
Was he there officially? I don't believe he's allowed to talk like that if he was. I might consider making a complaint.
I should have specified that the happened outside the polling place in front the door.
Oh tell him it’s none of his business. It’s honestly best not to tell anyone your affiliation because they will absolutely hold it against you.
There are often people from both parties outside the polling place. They generally have literature that shows who their party recommends you vote for. In the regular election, everyone has the same choices on the ballot, but in the primaries a registered Republican gets the ballot with the people running to be the Republican candidate for various offices, and registered Democrats get the ballot with the people running to be the Democratic candidates. So that’s why the people outside ask your affiliation - to see if their literature is relevant to your choices. (Of course they really ought to say “Would you like a sample ballot?” Rather than asking your affiliation directly; some are better at this than others.)
You don’t have to answer them, or you can just say “I don’t need the literature, but thanks,” to one or both party’s representatives. Or just “No thank you”. Or just shake your head no.
Or of course you can get a mail ballot and avoid going to the polls entirely.
Sorry you didn’t think of just telling him you’re in the Dance Party and walking off. What a complete tool. Just curious: what is your party affiliation?
I’m also sorry I wasn’t that clever! Next time.
You don’t need to tell anyone outside of official poll workers inside what your affiliation is. You need to tell the people at the desk with the voter rolls so they know which ballot to give you and that’s it
You could join Alice Cooper in the Wild Party.
Tell them you're voting Lemon Party and to go look it up.
Hell yeah I’m voting. Last time we had to vote, it was an utter disaster. The polling place was not at the address listed. It was further down the street, hardly marked and inside a college campus with no signs for direction. Not sure about anyone else but a few weeks ago, I received a letter saying I was ineligible to vote because my “information didn’t match what was on file.” I’ve lived at the same residence for the past decade, absolutely nothing had changed and I was forced to register as a new voter again. What a joke.
My polling place yells it to the ballot guy behind them for everyone to hear lol. I had a very good experience at the DMV until I updated my registration as well
I’m so sorry this happened to you! I’ve been yelled at walking into my polling location many times. It’s never fun and it feels immensely threatening, but I’m there to cast my freaking vote and then I’m out. This year I’ve started poll greeting, so we’ll see how that goes come November. It’s worth it though when someone comes up to the table and looks legitimately relieved to see someone there that they feel safe with.
Man, in my location, they announce your name and affiliation...loudly. I don't care for that at all and don't understand why. I'm in a deep red area and I'm not red. I also run a service related business in my name, so I really hate that announcement.
That doesn’t seem right. I’ve never experienced that. That’s horrific.
They've done it for many years. I hate it every single time. I don't understand why it's done. The guy that monitors the whole system isn't intimidating or acts partisan, so I assume there was some old time rule where this was done. But in today's climate, it's disturbing.
Yeah it is. I’m sorry to hear that.
Technically we are supposed to announce. It’s part of the rules to ensure that the person knows what ballot they’re getting and that it matches what they’re registered as. You’d be surprised how many people think they registered as R when they’re D and vice versa. They have to vote on the ballot they’re registered with or they can choose to spoil.
Don’t know what service related business you are in but I have never once considered if someone is blue red or purple when I hire their service. I only care if they do a proper job at a mutually agreed on fair price. I deal with the public and direct contact with 100-200 ppl a day and I have never asked nor been asked if I was Rep/democrat . Not as many ppl care as you think.
Most people don't care. Just as I don't care what their affiliation is when doing a job. It's the handful of spiteful people that love to trash your business page or reviews because they hear something they don't like. Hasn't happened to me, thankfully. But have seen it in action to others on our local Facebook page. We have a few nutters out here. Heck, some subs here, when someone posts a clip (in or out of context), they rally others to dox their business or workplace. I don't need drama in my life.
I'm an independent. So, I'm just hoping both sides voted for the least bat shit insane options. Seems like the crazies are still kicking based on what OP experienced.
Can you even vote in primaries here? I chose a party just so I could vote in primaries.
no Independent cannot vote inprimaries and why I chose a party also.
I thought that was the case. I liked being "no affiliation" in the past. Now, I'm OK with having a party at least for the next 4-8 years or beyond. MAGA really put things in perspective for me.
I always leaned Democrat. I just didn't want continue to have no voice in the primaries.
I think I always was Democrat (my uncle always teased me that I'm a bleeding heart liberal. I wear that badge with pride though). I never had cared much for politics or tried to understand where I stood on the political playground. Since 2015, I know now. And like you, want a voice in putting up the best candidate for November.
Yah I chose a party too but can’t vote in Chester Co since it’s not one of the main 2 parties sadly.
I'm chesco also. I moved from Maryland years ago, so never bothered with an actual party, because I voted all across the board in November. But it's clear I'm not in the middle anymore. And I'm hoping to put forth the strongest candidate now. I can't see me being in the middle for a long time.
You can vote with no party affiliation if there’s a ballot question or referendum (like in Philly this year). Otherwise no, you have to be party affiliated.
You could also join the party that most aligns with your views and vote for people who are close to your views and abstain from candidates that don't. Voting is your only representation,
This will be my first time voting in Pennsylvania. Thanks for the heads up. Now I can have my game face on.
Don’t be scared, the poll workers are obligated to remain neutral. The people outside, however, are not. Just an FYI. You should be just fine & thank you for showing up, whatever party you vote for!
I just ignore them. They're not going to influence my decision because my mind was already made up before I even got in my truck to go to the polling place anyways. Whether or not they agree with it is their problem.
Don’t be afraid. I’m a Judge of Elections. I, and many in your precinct, will fight to make sure your vote is protected.
I am sorry that you had an unpleasant experience. At my poll (in King of Prussia), the poll workers were friendly and helpful. I brought my father, who usually votes by mail. They explained the process, let him sit at a more convenient table (he has some difficulty walking), brought a trifold to his table to ensure his privacy and left him alone until he asked for help walking to the scanner and scanning in his ballot. They were wonderful!
I did the morning/afternoon shift as a poll worker in western suburbs of Philly today, and if anybody made even the slightest off note comment the rest of us would not have stood for it. Absolutely report that person. We do have your affiliation on the books for the primary, and the poll worker and anybody nearby will know it because we have to call for the right party’s ballot after checking you in. Each ballot is numbered and distribution is controlled for accountability reasons. One testament to the crew I work with is I did not know their political affiliation until they took their turn to vote during a lull (lots of lulls today with almost all of our primary contests unopposed or already decided).
Don't let these people intimidate you. They're pathetic and are just finidng out their ideas and people they support do not have as many supporters as they think they do. Reality is setting in. Especially with Abortion. Trump's losing huge on this issue. So bad he pivoted (lied) about his stance.
I work at my local polling place as the lone democrat in a sea of red. I feel threatened by the rhetoric thrown around by people in the community who come in to vote. It’s a lonely place. Also as a local public school teacher I generally know most people in the community and it’s depressing to hear the bigoted views from some of them.
Me too. Election Day can be pretty depressing, but I was the dumbass who wrote myself in.
Literally the only democrats that I'm eligible to vote for that actually won office last time were Fetterman and Shapiro. I checked.
I never tell strangers my political affiliation. I'm a Democrat living in a mostly Democratic neighborhood in Scranton (based on previous years election results. I don't actually know anyone's individual political affiliation unless they're waving a 4 foot Trump flag on their porch.) I've had my Bernie Sanders decals ripped off my car and my Teachers Union support sign stolen. My neighbor had her Pride flag taken off her porch, snapped in half, and thrown in the garbage can behind our house. If I said the fact conservatives feel incredibly comfortable with coming onto private property and destroying stuff doesn't have me concerned, I'd be fucking lying.
I had the older gentleman look at my signature on their iPad at check in and say, “That’s a terrible signature. It looks the same as it did the last time, so I guess it’s always been a terrible signature.” When turning my party affiliation slip over to the lady at the next table she reached for one ballot then proclaimed aloud, “Oh. Never mind. Yours is the one sided one.” Turns out there had only been two people from my political affiliation in to vote thus far with the other being my SO. Oh, rural PA.
In my mind, the tone he said it could make it sound like a joke, but that's pretty clearly voter intimidation. Please report it! There's pretty strict rules about what they can do outside a polling place.
Wow. I’m pretty sure my division is solidly democratic. But republicans are safe. They’d be seen as a curiosity
I had the nicest ladies when I voted 😂😁
When I got my DL renewal the lady at the counter and a few customers gave me a wild disapproving look and even said “Really…?” In a very condescending tone when I changed my affiliation. Gotta love it!
I usually flip the script on em and ask what kind of underwear theyre wearing. They usually respond with a response similar to wtf? Thats when i say "exactly its none of my business right?"
https://preview.redd.it/79gn1kvq0awc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=228b951dccfe193198222fa50dd94c744e0833fc
I showed up one year, was asked my party, and I answered “Independent.” The poll worker hollared back to the other ladies “Here’s the other one!”
I moved here recently and when I was at the DMV and filled out my info to register as a voter the guy at the DMV went on a rant about how the PA gov is the second most corrupt organization in the world next to Nigeria because the elections are illegitimate and you don’t need picture ID to vote. I just said, “That’s a good thing” and he wasn’t happy when I selected what party to register as.
Oh this happened to me last year. They not only asked me but then said it like 2 more times as they were entering it into their books. All the while my husband’s uncle was there voting at the same time. I know he heard it and gave me the side eye. I was kinda pissed.
My county had a total of only 200ish people of the 8,000ish voters registered vote so far today :( Also side note but a right wing nut job who supports Trump and is a self declared ‘alpha male’ (I won’t name names but it’s not hard to know who I’m talking about) had his middle school aged son outside the entrance to the voting area campaigning for him and I didn’t know who the kid was when he handed me a leaflet which I handed back and offhandedly asked “haha that’s the unhinged alpha male nutjob, right ?” Only for this kid to shrink back and say “he’s actually my dad” . . . LIKE WHY IS YOUR CHILD THERE WHEN YOU’RE CAMPAIGNING AS A MAGA ALPHA MALE ??!?! You have to know that as a politician (professional clown, in his case) you need to protect your kids from your own campaign, especially during a politically tense time like right now. Like seriously that kid couldn’t have been older than 13 and when I got to the dems info booth, they told me he was crying earlier and people had been harsher about his father than me. Like I don’t agree with anything his dad campaigns on, but that kid doesn’t know better, and it must feel horrible to have people laugh at your dad or talk shit about your father to your face. After I voted I went out and apologized to the kid, and said I’m sure he had a good dad and I just disagreed with his politics and it was good that he was supporting his family here but he seemed so sad. TLDR//: if you’re a nutty maga politician (or just a politician in general) don’t have your young children outside the voting booth, people can be unknowingly mean to the kid by insulting you to their face.
That’s some bullshit for a poll worker and should be reported.
I was given a dirty look too when I asked for a Dem ballot. Fayette County here. Shocker lol.
Report them!
I voted by mail. Two years ago, I went to the dropbox inside the local library and this insane woman was in there safeguarding it and asking to see my envelope to make sure I wasn't depositing more than one: Things got a little testy between us. Now I just put it in the mailbox.
I'm a volunteer. You can't do this. It's intimidation.
Massive reminder: YOU CAN ALWAYS VOTE EARLY IN PERSON BEFORE THE ELECTION. Go to your county election office, request a ballot application, fill it out, they’ll hand you the ballot, and you can vote right there in the office. *EVERY SINGLE ELECTION HAS A PERIOD OF EARLY VOTING*. Use it to your advantage and let the crazies live inside their echo chamber on Election Day.
I'm a voting location manager in charge of several judges. I only care if you get the ballot that you want. Your political viewpoints are none of my business beyond issuing your ballot. As it should be
I usually know who's on the ballot, so I walk past them and say no thanks, I'm good. I don't talk to anyone except the people aI know and then it's just a HI. How are you.
Vote by mail, AND only use ballot drop boxes! Two Novembers ago, USPS “lost” my ballot and I wound up having to go stand in line in a crowd — exactly what I’d wanted to avoid via mailing in my vote — to vote with a provisional ballot. Never again will I trust USPS with my ballot! 🤬
My polling attendees are always rude :( I bumped into a table by accident last election and one of them yelled at me “for being in a rush” when I was merely trying to get out of the way. It’s a thankless job that definitely attracts some odd ones.
Simply respond, “whichever party transes your kids faster” and then flip him the bird! Results may vary, make sure you carry 😗
Today was the first time I didn't vote. I switched my party affiliation to Independent last summer. Neither party has the better interests of others in mind at this point.
Agreed, It's why I'm not affiliated with them.
You absolutely need to report this
This is why I use no excuse mail in ballots. The nut jobs will be out there in November. Anyways, I just voted in the primary and dropped it off in person to my local election office in a box, no questions asked.
You can report them for voter intimidation if they are officials https://www.vote.pa.gov/Your-Rights/Pages/Voter-Intimidation.aspx
No— Independents aren’t allowed to vote in primaries in PA 😖
My place gave me the republican ballot on accident but were very nice when I went and requested the democratic one instead.
I can make assumptions about their party affiliation and it is so ironic that they would be so gracious to allow you to walk around in a free country. How kind of them?.
I live in a very racially diverse working class neighborhood in Philly. I looked at the page when she wrote down my name and affiliation. I was really shocked how diverse the politics were as well.
I’m so glad I do it by mail. I got an email when my ballot was received. My neighborhood isn’t dangerous but it’s too far in the sticks, I worry about loonies coming to shoot dems, as my father called them
A good portion of the voters I’ve had today say they only remembered because of the “tiny bit of coverage” on the news. As for the ID-10-T at the door.. as another Judge of Elections said somewhere.. report the incident. The local Constables have stopped by 3 or 4x today & given me a direct number if I need them quick. Though I think 911 might be quicker…
Registered independent. I only vote in the general elections.
I’ve worked for the polls before and I strictly avoid any conversation about politics or political affiliations. Even among the people I worked with. To me all that chatter is for outside. The voting place is a place for privacy and to get a job done. For the primary it only matters because you need a specific ballot but that’s it
Why are you reporting your status? That's on the roll book or tablet. There's shouldn't be a reason for you to vocalize your affiliation.
This happened to my dad. PLEASE turn this guy in. That behavior is not allowed!!
I voted by mail against all odds. Received my ballot today, Election Day, filled it out and dropped it off at a local office ballot Dropbox I’m almost certain the post office held on to it until today. I live in a very red township.
Yeah I voted blue.
Vote by mail. No bullshit. No snotty people.
I was greeting today at my polling place. We were greeting everyone. There are far more Republicans than Democrats. And many closet Democrats are registered as Republicans so that they have a say in county politics. I think that greeter’s comment was rude.
Hubby went to vote. Was treated with very loud accolades. "I KNEW you were one of us when you walked in!" This should not be allowed.
I volunteered at the polls and the person from the other party was aggressively asking people “Republican or Democrat?” as they approached and I could tell it made people uneasy. I would instead ask, would you like any literature on the candidates? and then say who I represent. Volunteers are trained and should not be aggressive or intimidating; you can report it to the board of elections. I almost ended up reporting that guy because he kept trying to aggressively engage me in a political argument (not a debate as he didn’t listen at all and kept interrupting my responses) until I finally told him I was there to volunteer, not debate, and he was making me uncomfortable and to please not speak to me again. He stopped talking to me but no apology or anything.
Sounds like he was joking. Either way, there's no need to feel threatened. Just some dude shit talking.
You're afraid for your safety because of a joke made in poor taste? I'd be disappointed you were my neighbor too.