An incident at the Beaufort County Board of Elections on Wednesday is being investigated, according to law enforcement and judicial officials.

The incident, which occurred around noon, involved Joseph Thomas Alligood Sr. and elections officials. It happened while voters were marking ballots. During a telephone interview Thursday morning, Alligood acknowledged the incident occurred.

Thursday, Assistant District Attorney Tom Anglim confirmed that an investigation into the incident is under way. Because it’s an active investigation, Anglim said he could not comment further.

The Washington Police Department is referring media inquiries about the incident to the district attorney’s office, said Capt. William Chrismon, head of the criminal investigations division, on Thursday.

Kellie Harris Hopkins, the county’s elections director, said she is being advised by the North Carolina State Board of Elections not to comment because of the ongoing investigation. Attempts to contact the state board for comment on laws regarding disturbance at polling places and actions taken against elections officials were unsuccessful Wednesday night and Thursday.

One voter, who did not want to be identified and who went to the board’s office to vote Wednesday, confirmed there was an incident unfolding upon arrival at the board’s office.

Alligood described the occurrence as a “small incident,” adding he is surprised it is being investigated.

Alligood said he voted Oct. 28, and his son voted Monday. “Well, he’s a junior. … When he told them his name, which is Joe, Joseph Alligood, she said, … ‘Which are you, junior or senior?’ He said, ‘I’m a junior.’ He said, ‘Why?’ She said, ‘Well, neither one of you have voted.’ So, he comes back and tells me. Well, it’s my stupidity for not carrying somebody with me with all this stuff on the newspaper and the television about voter fraud,” Alligood said. “So, I told my wife and said, ‘I’m going back up there and just test them.’ She said, ‘Well, I’m not going.’ So … that was what I was aiming to do.”

Alligood said one of the poll workers handed him a ballot, but she took it back. Shortly thereafter, Scott Sheppard, an elections specialist, took the ballot and walked into a room off the lobby where voting was taking place — “where the other two young ladies were.” Alligood said Sheppard helped him correct his ballot when he voted Oct. 28. Because several ovals on the ballot were not completely filled in, the voting tabulator rejected the ballot, Alligood said.

Alligood said after Sheppard took his ballot Wednesday, he waited several minutes, and then he entered the office where Sheppard, Anita Bullock Branch, deputy director of elections, and another woman were discussing the matter. Alligood said he reminded them of the ballot problem when he voted Oct. 28.

At that time, Alligood said, Hopkins “comes bouncing in there, gets right in my face, nose to nose, and tells me, ‘You got to get out of here. You got to get out of here.’ … Most of the time when I talk, I kind of move my hands. She said, ‘You’re physically threatening me. You’re physically threatening me.’”

Alligood denies threatening Hopkins, adding he believes she should have identified herself before “jumping in my face.” He added, “If that lady had handed me the ballot, that’s when I was going to say something, because I didn’t intend to vote the second time. I was testing the system.”

According to state law, a person who “by threats, menaces or in any other manner, to intimidate or attempt to intimidate any chief judge, judge of election or other election officer in the discharge of duties in the registration of voters or in conducting any primary or election” is guilty of a Class I felony.