Next time you hear a Republican ranting baselessly about voter fraud, say these words to him: “Bladen County, North Carolina.” The county where possibly or even probably fraudulent absentee ballots have delayed a U.S. House race from being certified may have had two different absentee ballot fraud operations running, with one of the clumsier would-be election thieves you’re going to find.
A local business owner and town commissioner named Jeff Smith left handwritten notes with explicit details about running an absentee ballot ring behind after an April meeting to discuss the local sheriff’s race:
“Picking up existing ballots unsealed,” the top line of the sheet says, with the word “unsealed” underlined twice.
Below that line are two lines of notes showing payment of $500 for 150 ballots and $1,000 for 250 ballots.
Smith was on the opposite side of the sheriff’s race from Leslie McCrae Dowless, but Dowless ran his absentee ballot operation focused on the race for the 9th Congressional District out of an office provided by Smith.
Shadier and shadier.
(Via)