Election Day: Brett Mandel Kicked Out of Polling Place [Updated]

City Controller candidate Brett Mandel has been slapped on the wrist.

A complaint filed this morning in Election Court by City Controller Alan Butkovitz’s campaign and a South Philly polling place judge of elections claimed that Mandel strolled around St. Maron’s Church at 10th and Ellsworth streets at 7:45 a.m., where four divisions of the 2nd Ward vote. The judge of elections claimed Mandel handed him a campaign sticker and “advocated for his election.”

An common pleas judge ordered Mandel to stop that immediately, young man. Mr. Mandel, if you’re gonna electioneer inside polling places, maybe don’t try to sway the guy charged with maintaining the integrity of the election. [Daily News]

Updated: Mandel tells City Paper that it was all one big misunderstanding.

“We’re certainly not electioneering in any way,” and in fact, “I had resolved not to go into any polling place.” But a committee person asked him to step inside to say hello to someone, and while there he saw someone who had some tattoos. Mandel says he said, “Hey, you’re inked up, have a [Brett Mandel for Controller] tattoo.’ And that was the extent of my electioneering that caused multiple lawyers to run into court.”