A Democratic Party candidate is being charged with a bevy of felony counts, all related to alleged voter fraud.

Terry Andrew Heflin, the 45-year old candidate for a commission seat in Clay County, Alabama, was arrested Tuesday on seven counts of unlawful use of absentee ballots, according to a news release from the Alabama Attorney General’s office. Each unlawful use of the ballots comes with a punishment ranging from one to 10 years in prison.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced the arrest the day after Heflin turned himself in to authorities.

The release from Marshall’s office gave few details about the circumstances surrounding the alleged voter fraud.

“[Heflin] was charged with 7 counts of unlawful use of absentee ballots,” the release said.

“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.”

“The case is being prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Division,” the release continued. “No further information about the investigation or about Heflin’s alleged crimes may be released at this time.”

The state’s attorney general was not the only one using the arrest to underscore the seriousness with which state officials take election security.

“I have been traveling this state and talking about absentee ballot application fraud and absentee ballot election fraud for years,” Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen said. “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.”

The Clay County Jail roster currently lists Heflin as an inmate. His listing includes both his mugshot and the lengthy list of voter fraud charges.

According to AL.com, the alleged fraud was committed in the March primaries.

Heflin’s primary race was tight, with Decision Desk HQ reporting that his runoff victory came with a razor-thin margin of 43 votes.

The seven fraudulent votes he’s accused of casting for himself do not account for the entire margin, but the state’s investigation may see additional charges being brought against Heflin or others.

Heflin has fallen into trouble with the law before.

In 2021, Heflin pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, a crime he was sentenced to five years in prison for.

He was made to serve only two years of that sentence.

Assignment Editor