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---
title: Election: 2016 Campaign Ended with Weirdness at Polling Places
description: The 2016 election has been unprecedented and at times weird, so naturally Election Day turned out that way too.
canonical: https://time.com/4562997/2016-election-voting-weird/
author: Tessa Berenson
article:opinion: false
article:content_tier: free
article:published_time: 2016-11-08T21:48:08.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:45:20.997Z
article:section: Politics
og:title: Of Course the Election Ended With Weirdness at Polling Places
og:description: A man dressed in a KISS outfit. Topless women. A filming of &quot;Booty Queens.&quot;
og:url: https://time.com/4562997/2016-election-voting-weird/
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og:image:alt: Voting booths in polling place
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twitter:title: Of Course the Election Ended With Weirdness at Polling Places
twitter:description: A man dressed in a KISS outfit. Topless women. A filming of &quot;Booty Queens.&quot;
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![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt180d09b6072c5b54/6988acd2cd1bbaada9702f74/voting-booth-election-day.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# Of Course the 2016 Election Ended With Weirdness at Polling Places

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by 

[Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)


![Tessa Berenson](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltec0484fe1b20c577/698a0ced86f68ed9d96ee9e6/tessa-berenson-author-2020.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Tessa Berenson


Nov 8, 2016 9:48 PM UTC

![Voting booths in polling place](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt180d09b6072c5b54/6988acd2cd1bbaada9702f74/voting-booth-election-day.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

Voting booths in polling place

Voting booths in polling place Getty Images

![Tessa Berenson](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltec0484fe1b20c577/698a0ced86f68ed9d96ee9e6/tessa-berenson-author-2020.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)


![Tessa Berenson](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltec0484fe1b20c577/698a0ced86f68ed9d96ee9e6/tessa-berenson-author-2020.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Tessa Berenson


Nov 8, 2016 9:48 PM UTC

The 2016 election has been unprecedented and at times weird, so naturally Election Day turned out that way too.

While there has been [an uptick in reports of voter intimidation](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/11/08/election-day-voters-report-long-lines-intimidation-and-confusion-in-some-parts-of-the-country/) as well as people [stuck in long lines](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjs78nmkJrQAhUB3GMKHUn5BNYQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftime.com%2F4562588%2Fdonate-pizza-voters%2F&usg=AFQjCNHQh7ENghgec35mAe%5FGFeTTU4athg&sig2=qfUU7P15FO0kkzlX3sk-Ng) at polling places around the country, there’s also been some news of the weird.

Here are four of the strangest moments from voting Tuesday.

**1\. Topless women at Donald Trump’s polling site**

Donald Trump [was booed](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2016/live-updates/general-election/real-time-updates-on-the-2016-election-voting-and-race-results/donald-trump-was-booed-before-he-voted-for-donald-trump/) when he arrived at his polling place, but that wasn’t the only surprise anti-Trump demonstration at that location Tuesday. Earlier in the morning, [two topless women stormed the polling site](http://time.com/4562610/women-topless-protest-donald-trump/?iid=sr-link1) and ripped open their tops to reveal “Trump, grab your balls” written in black paint across one woman’s chest and stomach, and “Hate out of my polls” on the other. They were quickly taken into custody by police.

**2\. Obscene sign and Kiss outfit in Texas**

There were two flamboyant characters at a polling site in Spring, Texas. A man carrying a handgun and standing next to a sign [that read](https://twitter.com/AndrewKragie/status/796070316393058304) “F\*\*\*\*ts Vote Dem” was detained by police in the early afternoon, [the Houston Chronicle reports](http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/The-Latest-Harris-County-election-updates-10599514.php). Another man dressed in what appeared to be a KISS costume, wearing a Trump mask and a red Make America Great Again hat, danced around the polling site chanting pro-Trump slogans.

> [](https://twitter.com/AndrewKragie/status/796066519218356224)

**3\. James O’Keefe trailing a church bus in Philadelphia**

[James O’Keefe](http://time.com/4536212/james-okeefe-project-veritas-video-democrats/?iid=sr-link1), a conservative provocateur and undercover journalist, tweeted a video of himself tailgating a pastor’s bus driving people to the polls in Philadelphia. O’Keefe says he’ll be showing “some people doing some improper things, busing people around, maybe they shouldn’t be doing it” and promises that he’ll be “busting the whole thing open.” (On previous stings, O’Keefe has spliced together videos in misleading ways.)


> [](https://twitter.com/JamesOKeefeIII/status/796042780359401472)

**4\.** **_Booty Queens_** **filming in Los Angeles**

A writer for Gizmodo [posted a photo](http://gizmodo.com/this-sign-outside-my-polling-place-is-the-most-la-thing-1788710578) of a notice taped outside his Los Angeles polling place, which says, “Filming of an internet/television program, ‘BOOTY QUEENS,’ is taking place beyond this sign and in this area. By entering this area, you hereby grant to AWESTRUCK TV LLC, NSD, LLC (and its successors, affiliates, licensees and assigns) the right but not the obligation to photograph, record and videotape you and to utilize your likeness, voice, actions, appearance and performances in any manner in connection with the production.”

The author said he spoke with a producer on the show who said they had permission to film there and were not shooting in the direction of the polling site. Still, taped outside a polling site, the bottom of the notice reads, “If you wish to avoid the possibility of being recorded/photographed and/or if you do not agree to the above, please do not enter this area.”

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