Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced on Wednesday the arrest of Terry Andrew Heflin, the Democrat candidate for District 5 of the Clay County Commission, on seven felony counts of voter fraud.
Heflin, 45, was charged with seven counts of unlawful use of absentee ballots. Specifically, the indictment alleges that Heflin falsified applications to vote absentee for multiple people and then used those people’s names to vote for himself by absentee ballot. Each count of unlawful use of an absentee ballot is a Class C felony punishable by one year and one day to 10 years in prison.
Heflin turned himself in to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and is currently being held at the Clay County jail.
Heflin defeated Beverly Appleby Hill in the Democrat primary in April by a margin of 59% to 41%, or 141 votes to 98 votes.
The case is being prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Division.
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen said the arrest and indictment for felony absentee ballot fraud sends the message that "we are serious about election integrity."
“I have been traveling this state and talking about absentee ballot application fraud and absentee ballot election fraud for years. I have been clear from day one that I take election fraud seriously, and I was not kidding. When my office was made aware of what was happening in Clay County, we immediately referred the case to Attorney General Marshall for criminal prosecution.” Allen said. “Let this case of felony voter fraud be a signal to all those contemplating breaking Alabama election law that it will not be tolerated in this state. We will find you and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email caleb.taylor@1819News.com.
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