LaFayette Council candidate arrested
LAFAYETTE — According to the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office, Andrew Vines, a candidate for LaFayette’s District
B city council seat, was arrested on Aug. 8 over allegations pertaining to ballot harvesting, which is a misdemeanor in Alabama.
The investigation began last month when a voter disclosed information of the potential wrongdoing by Vines to the city manager of LaFayette. The Chambers County District Attorney asked the sheriff’s office to investigate.
The person alleged that Vines had filled out their absentee ballot application, had them sign it and then took the form to mail it.
“When Mr. Davidson, the city manager, checked several envelopes, about 50 had the same handwriting
on them,” said Capt. Jeff Hinkle of the Investigations Division at the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office. “I started going around talking to those people, but I could not get to all of them. But the ones I did speak to, said Andrew either helped them fill out the applications, filled it out for them and they all said he took them with him when he left.”
According to
Hinkle, Vines is facing approximately 30 charges, four of which are for forgery.
“I had about four
[people] that said they did not sign anything,” Hinkle said. “When I compared
the signatures on the applications to the signatures on their statements, they were not even close [to the same].”
LaFayette Mayor Kenneth Vines issued the following statement on social media: “Facebook community, citizens of LaFayette and
friends, I want to address the recent news coverage reporting the arrest of councilman and candidate Andrew Vines. While
I am related to Andrew Vines, I had absolutely
no involvement in his alleged criminal activity. I was not connected to the alleged incident, nor have
I been contacted by law enforcement regarding
the alleged incident. Any insinuation that these are
in any way connected to me, are inaccurate. I remain resolute and focused on my responsibilities as mayor and serving the great city of LaFayette with integrity.”
Under state law, misdemeanor charges do not disqualify a candidate from running for office.
The city’s election for mayor and all five council seats is schedule for Aug. 26. AndrewVines is still on the ballot as a council member candidate for District B.
In Alabama, a registered voter “may apply for and vote an absentee ballot”
as an accommodation for being unable to vote in- person on election day for one or more of 8 statutory reasons. ALA. CODE § 17- 11-3(a)(1)-(8). However, absentee voting is not offered as a general vote- by-mail alternative.
The Prefilled-Application Provision states “[i]t shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly distribute an absentee ballot application to a voter that is prefilled with the voter’s name or any other information required on the application form.” ALA. CODE § 17- 11-4(b)(2).
The Submission Provision states “it shall be unlawful for an individual to submit a completed absentee ballot application to the absentee election manager other than his
or her own application,” except in cases where a voter requires emergency medical treatment “within five days before an election.” ALA. CODE § 17-11-4(c)(2). Importantly, SB1
expressly provides an
accommodation for disability voting assistance identical to federal law: “Any voter who requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, disability or inability to read or write may be given assistance by an individual of the voter’s choice, other than the voter’s employer or agent of that employer or officer or agent of the voter’s union.” Compare ALA. CODE § 17-11-4(e), with 52 U.S.C. § 10508 (same).
All of the charges Andrew Vines is facing are misdemeaners.
“If he pays them, or gives them some kind of offer in exchange for a vote, that changes it to a felony,” Hinkle said. “I asked everyone of these people if he offered them anything or paid them. They all said ‘No.’”
When asked for a comment on his arrest, Andrews Vines said, “No comment, per my attorney.”
Note: All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
