An elections supervisor in Williamson County, Texas has resigned after she was caught on video screaming at a voter who was reportedly confused about where to vote.
The confrontation unfolded Friday, Nov. 2, during early voting at the Williamson County Annex in Round Rock, local station KVUE reported. The video, captured by a bystander, shows election judge and supervisor Lila Guzman shouting, “Get out! Get out! Get out!”
The elections worker, Lila Guzman (right) said she resigned because she felt she didn’t have sufficient support from the Williamson County Board of Elections. (KVUE / videos screenshot)
“You are rude. You are not following the law,” Guzman is heard yelling at the unnamed voter. “Go. Go.”
At another point in the video, Guzman threatens to dial police on the woman and have her escorted out of the building. The woman left before authorities arrived, however.
The witness who recorded the incident, who asked to remain unnamed, told KVUE about what prompted her to film the encounter.
“As soon as she started getting louder, I was like, ‘This is getting out of hand.’ So I began to record,” the voter explained. “[Guzman] did tell her she couldn’t vote there, but she didn’t say where in Travis [County]. The lady did have an accent. She could’ve been new to the country. I don’t know, but she needed some help.”
Williamson County Elections Administrator Chris Davis acknowledged that while Guzman is “a very experienced supervisor and judge,” she was ultimately in the wrong.
“Our supervisor loses her composure in the middle of this, and that’s not something that we ever train our poll workers, supervisors, election judges and clerks to do,” Davis said. “We always train them and advise them to maintain control of the situation politely and answer voters’ questions and give voters options so situations like these don’t escalate.”
The elections administrator said it appears the woman showed up to the Williamson County polling location after being turned away by poll workers in Travis County. The woman was registered to vote in Williamson County but lived in Travis County. Rather than sending her away, Davis said poll workers should’ve directed her to the Travis County Elections Division where she could vote a limited ballot.
“I regret that that incident happened with that poll worker because that voter was just trying to get answers that weren’t being provided to her in a way that we train our poll workers to give,” Davis added.
Guzman has expressed remorse over her behavior, admitting she lost her cool after working 12-hour days for nearly two weeks straight. The former elections official said she didn’t resign over the incident, however, but because she felt she didn’t have support from Davis’ office when she called police to have the voter removed.
Guzman will not be working on Election Day.
Watch more in the clip below.