Terry Andrew Heflin, a Democratic candidate for the District 5 Clay County Commission in Alabama, was arrested and charged with seven counts of voter fraud. The charges stem from allegations that Heflin falsified absentee ballot applications and voted on behalf of others.
The Clay County Grand Jury indictment accuses 45-year-old Heflin of falsifying an absentee ballot application for Jamey Ware, who was not a District 5 resident, and voting in Ware’s name during the March 5, 2024, Democratic Primary Election. Additionally, Heflin faces six more counts for allegedly voting multiple times for three other individuals.
The Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Division is handling the prosecution. Heflin, who won the Democratic primary in April with 141 votes against Beverly Appleby Hill’s 98 votes, turned himself in to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and is currently held in the county jail.
Secretary of State Wes Allen reiterated the state’s firm stance on election fraud: “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. Let this case of felony voter fraud be a signal that breaking Alabama election law will not be tolerated.”
Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives Nathaniel Ledbetter assured the public of the security of the upcoming November election, praising the legislature’s efforts to protect election integrity.
The debate over mail-in voting continues, with conservative skepticism contrasting with liberal defenses of its security. The Brennan Center has maintained that mail ballot fraud is exceedingly rare and that security concerns are addressable.
