Terry Andrew Heflin, a Democrat running for the District 5 Clay County Commission seat in Alabama, has been charged with seven felony counts of voter fraud. The charges follow allegations that Heflin falsified absentee ballot applications and cast votes on behalf of others.

The Clay County Grand Jury indictment claims that Heflin, 45, falsified an absentee ballot application for Jamey Ware, who did not reside in District 5, and voted in Ware’s name in the March 5, 2024, Democratic Primary Election. The indictment also includes six additional counts for voting multiple times for three other individuals.

The Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Division is prosecuting the case. Heflin, who won the Democratic primary in April with 141 votes compared to Beverly Appleby Hill’s 98 votes, turned himself in to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and is currently held at the county jail.

Secretary of State Wes Allen emphasized the state’s commitment to combating 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. This case of felony voter fraud is a signal that breaking Alabama election law will not be tolerated.”

Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives Nathaniel Ledbetter expressed confidence in the security of the upcoming November election and praised the legislature’s efforts to safeguard election integrity.

The issue of mail-in voting has been contentious, with conservatives raising security concerns while liberal organizations, such as the Brennan Center, argue that mail ballot fraud is rare and manageable.