MILWAUKEE -- Election Day got off to an ugly start at a parking lot on Milwaukee's northwest side.

Someone slashed 27 tires on 20 vehicles that were designated for the local Bush/Cheney campaign.

"We showed up this morning, and it appears the tires were slashed on the vehicles we were going to transport our people to the polls to conduct our poll watching effort," said Rick Wiley, the political director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

Wiley said the vandalism caused poll watchers to have a slow start.

Wiley said the vehicles and the lot at 71st and Capitol Street were rented.

None of the vehicles was marked, but there was a Bush/Cheney sign posted up on a building on the side of the lot.

"Wiley said he believes the vandals showed up at 6 a.m., slashed the tires on the vans that were parked on the outside to make it difficult for the ones on the inside to get out," WISN 12 News reporter DeMarco Morgan said.

"It appears as though it was an effort to keep our vans on the lot so we couldn't get our people to the polls," Wiley said.

Milwaukee police told 12 News Tuesday afternoon that they now have a description of a possible suspect: a white male, 18 to 25 years old, 170 pounds, 5 foot 6 inches to 5 foot 9 inches tall, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark jeans. He was seen running from the scene.

However, Wiley said he doesn't believe the act was random.

"I would have a hard time believing it's a random move. I think something like this, when it's done in this effort, it looks like it was planned, definitely," Wiley said.

Wiley said the poll watchers were still able to make it to their assigned areas, and more than 50 rented vans are still being used.

If you have any information about this incident, you're asked to call Milwaukee police immediately.