Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced the arrest on Wednesday of two Lowndes County residents on charges related to the unlawful use of absentee ballots in the August 2025 Ft. Deposit municipal election.
Jacqulyn Boone, 51, and Steven Thigpen, 49, were each charged with unlawful use of absentee ballots, a Class C felony under Alabama law. Boone previously served as mayor of Ft. Deposit, and Thigpen was a candidate for the Ft. Deposit City Council. Both were declared winners in the August 2025 election.
Boone was the first black female mayor of Ft. Deposit.
The election was later set aside due to voting irregularities, and a special election was held in January 2026.
Under Alabama law, unlawful use of absentee ballots is punishable by one year and one day to 10 years in prison.
The Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Division is prosecuting the case. Due to the ongoing investigation, no additional details are being released at this time. An arrest is not a conviction. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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