BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — In a 20 minute video posted on Facebook Live Saturday, former Erie County Legislator Betty Jean Grant can be seen filming an elderly woman voting at the Delevan Grider Community Center.
In the video, you can see a woman attempting to help the woman cast her ballot. Betty Jean, who filmed the incident believed the woman was in the wrong, shouting “that’s illegal.”
“The minute I said I would help Betty Jean lost her mind,” said Carolette Meadows, who was helping the voter.
Meadows says she was helping the elderly voter use the write-in Byron Brown stamp. Meadows says the woman was confused as to how to use the stamp and where to stamp it.
“You come here and you take an 80-plus year-old woman, and you make her feel like what she’s doing is against the law,” said Meadows of Grant. “You intimidate and bully the community that if they want to support Byron Brown, they’re doing something wrong.”
Meadows, who says she supports Brown for Mayor says she was doing nothing wrong when the poll watchers called the police on her.
The Erie County Board of Elections says the following day, it received a complaint from the New York Attorney General’s Office.
“We have sent a letter to Betty Jean Grant, asking her to stay away from the polling places by 100 feet,” said Democratic Board of Elections Commissioner Jeremy Zellner.
The letter sent to Grant also says, “You have interfered with the election.” The Erie County Board of Elections has also revoked her poll-watching certificate.
The Erie County District Attorney’s Office is also investigating this incident.
We attempted several times to call Betty Jean Grant but were unable to get in touch with her.
