Terry Andrew Heflin, a Democrat running for the District 5 Clay County Commission in Alabama, has been arrested and charged with seven felony counts of voter fraud. The indictment from the Clay County Grand Jury accuses Heflin of falsifying absentee ballot applications and voting on behalf of others.
Heflin, 45, allegedly falsified an application to vote absentee for Jamey Ware, who did not reside in District 5, and cast an absentee ballot in Ware’s name during the March 5, 2024, Democratic Primary Election. The indictment also includes six additional counts for voting on behalf of three other individuals multiple times.
The Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Division is prosecuting Heflin, who won the Democratic primary in April with 141 votes, defeating Beverly Appleby Hill, who received 98 votes.
Secretary of State Wes Allen highlighted the importance of election integrity: “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. This case of felony voter fraud is a signal to all those contemplating breaking Alabama election law that it will not be tolerated.”
Heflin is currently held at the Clay County jail and could face several years in prison and hefty fines if convicted.
Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives Nathaniel Ledbetter expressed confidence in the upcoming November election’s security, emphasizing the state’s commitment to safeguarding the integrity of its elections.
The issue of mail-in voting has been contentious, with conservatives questioning its security while liberal media and organizations, such as the Brennan Center, argue that mail ballot fraud is rare and manageable.
