Houston voter says election official spoke to her using racist language
A voter in Houston, Texas, said that an election official at her Harris County polling station used racist language when talking to her while she voted Tuesday morning.
The voter, Rolanda Anthony, told NBC News that Juanita Barnes, a county election official, told her, “Maybe if I put my blackface makeup on, you could comprehend what I’m saying to you,” after the computer prompted Anthony to verify her address at her Harris County, Texas, polling location.
“The moment I was told that, before I could even understand what was going on, Juanita came at me telling me, 'So you know it’s illegal to not provide your address?,'” Anthony said. "She just started yelling and being disrespectful.”
Anthony said the address on the screen matched the one on her driver's license, but was later told the computer prompt asking for address verification was an error.
Anthony added that she has filed charges through the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the matter has been forwarded to the Harris County District Attorney.
Barnes has been released from duty, according to the Harris County Clerk’s office. NBC News was unable to reach her for comment.
Prestina Ford Stuckey, an election clerk who witnessed the exchange, confirmed to NBC News she heard the blackface comment.
“I left because I was disgusted with what I heard,” Stuckey, who quit as a result of the incident, said.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office said in a tweet earlier Tuesday that a deputy "investigating a disturbance this morning" at a polling location issued a misdemeanor citation for assault to a female assistant election judge who allegedly bumped a female voter during an argument.
The tweet did not address what was allegedly said during the confrontation.