CATAWBA COUNTY, NC — A 67-year-old woman narrowly avoided voter fraud charges after fulfilling her mother’s dying wish of casting a vote by absentee ballot during the 2016 presidential election.
The woman’s 89-year-old mother was a huge Donald Trump supporter, according to a release, and had intended to vote by absentee ballot in the 2016 election. On October 26, 2016 however, the mother died suddenly of a massive stroke.
Officials say the mother failed to complete the ballot prior to her death, and, as her last request, asked that her daughter use Power of Attorney to cast the vote.
Believing that it was within the bounds of her Power of Attorney, the daughter cast her mother’s vote on November 3 at an early voting location. Officials say the daughter was not intending to commit fraud and did not realize that it was unlawful when she committed the act.
Investigators with the NC State Board of Elections say the woman was very honest and cooperative when contacted about the incident. Officials say a record search also showed that the woman had never been in trouble with law enforcement, aside from minor traffic tickets.
After reviewing information provided, the District Attorney’s Office says they declined prosecution. The DA said in a release that the facts and circumstances of the case did not support filing felony charges on a woman who has never been in trouble, and clearly had no intent of actually defrauding or committing a crime.
Officials say the 67-year-old woman was simply grieving her mother’s loss, and believed that the Power of Attorney allowed her to grant her mother’s last wish.
Click to read a copy of the redacted email sent by the daughter to the NC State Board of Elections.
