Lafayette city council candidate arrested, denies harvesting ballots
According to the Chambers County Sheriff's Office Vines was arrested Friday, August 8, following a weeks-long investigation into reports first made in mid-July. Monday, Vines told WRBL in a phone interview he is innocent.
'I've been falsely accused. Around 60 people in my district applied for absentee ballots and needed assistance with the applications — not the ballots themselves. They signed their own applications. I brought them blank applications, and they filled them out. I did assist some with answering questions, which I am allowed to do. I also prepared the envelopes.'
The case began when investigators say a voter went to LaFayette City Hall and told the clerk Vines had filled out their absentee ballot application, had them sign it, and then took the form to mail it. The Chambers County District Attorney's Office called in the Sheriff's Office to investigate.
Captain Jeff Hinkle says multiple witnesses told investigators Vines went door-to-door in his district with absentee ballot applications, either encouraging residents to apply or filling them out for them. Some alleged he even signed voters' names before taking the applications to mail. Investigators say they found around 50 envelopes with the same handwriting, along with evidence to support 15 misdemeanor counts of mailing in ballots for others, 11 misdemeanor counts of filling out ballots for others, and four misdemeanor forgery charges for signatures.
Vines says according to Alabama Code § 17-11-4(b)(1), 'Any applicant may receive assistance in filling out the application as he or she desires, but each application shall be manually signed by the applicant, under penalty of perjury, and if he or she signs by mark, the application shall also include the name of the witness and the witness's signature.'
Alabama law allows absentee voting only for specific reasons, such as being out of town on Election Day, illness, or physical disability. It is illegal to distribute pre-filled absentee ballot applications or to submit an application on behalf of someone else, except in limited medical emergencies.
'I'm not off the ballot, I haven't been proven guilty, and I didn't do anything wrong. My main goal has always been to make sure everyone in my district has the chance to vote. On Election Day, if anyone needs a ride, I will provide it — as I have always done,' said Vines.
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 set for August 26, with voting at LaFayette High School from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. A runoff, if needed, will be held September 23.
WRBL has reached out to Lafayette's City Manager for further comment. The investigation is ongoing ahead of the election.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ex-Gov. David Paterson endorses Mayor Adams for reelection, but doesn't call on Cuomo to quit
After supporting Andrew Cuomo's failed campaign in June's Democratic mayoral primary, ex-Gov. David Paterson endorsed Eric Adams' independent bid for reelection Wednesday, praising the incumbent as 'courageous and outspoken.' 'There have been some pitfalls, there have been some times when perhaps he would have done things a little differently, but the mark of an individual who really deserves the position that he wants to continue after Election Day this fall is that they recognize that and that they're able to make the necessary changes,' Paterson said, a reference to the legal and ethical controversies that have hung over Adams' first term. Still, Paterson wouldn't call on Cuomo — who's also running as an independent in November's mayoral election — to drop out of the race. 'I am not suggesting that a person that has raised a lot of money, has put his blood, sweat and tears into the race and wants to continue the race — I could not look that person in the eye and tell them to get out,' Paterson, appearing alongside Adams at City Hall, said when asked if Cuomo should step out of the race. Patterson held a press conference last month to urge New York's business and civic communities to coalesce behind one candidate in order to optimize the chances of beating Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, the favorite to win November's contest. Asked why he's now backing off his inital request, Paterson told the Daily News: 'None of the candidates seemed particularly interested, so I consider the issue to be moot.' Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi declined to comment. The biggest obstacle anti-Mamdani forces face is that Adams and Cuomo are likely to split the more moderate Democratic vote, potentially benefitting Mamdani, whose large progressive base carried him to victory in the primary. In addition to Cuomo, Adams and Mamdani, Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa and independent Jim Walden are also on November's ballot. Most polls of November's mayoral election are predicting Cuomo has the best shot at beating Mamdani. Adams, who's suffering historically low approval ratings as he continues to face political fallout from his corruption indictment, has placed fourth in several polls, behind Sliwa. Nonetheless, Paterson, who served as governor between 2008 and 2010, argued Adams is best suited to challenge Mamdani because of his 'scorecard.' 'You can keep a scorecard on what he gets done and what he hasn't gotten done, and the score card is incredible,' he said.
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Ex-Gov. David Paterson backing Eric Adams for NYC mayor— after endorsing Andrew Cuomo in Dem primary
Former Gov. David Paterson is backing a new horse in the crowded field for New York City mayor — putting his support behind Eric Adams' bid to hang onto City Hall. The 55th governor of New York became the highest-profile Democrat to back the incumbent's re-election bid, after previously endorsing his successor in Albany, Andrew Cuomo, in the June Democratic primary for mayor. 'I'm here to stand for someone who has already run this city for nearly four years and has made huge changes over the past administrations,' Paterson said outside City Hall Wednesday, surrounded by more than two dozen Adams supporters. Paterson made his latest endorsement on Wednesday. Matthew McDermott Eric Adams has been polling in the single digits with his long-shot independent bid for mayor. stefano Giovannini 'At this particular time, in this moment where so many issues are occurring, so many difficulties are coming to this state … the person we need to protect us is Mayor Eric Adams,' he said. The endorsement comes just weeks after Paterson called for the candidates — GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa and independents Adams, Cuomo and lawyer Jim Walden — to unite behind one person as the best way to beat the frontrunner, socialist Zohran Mamdani, in the November election. Under the proposal, the contender who continues to campaign would be determined by an independent poll closer to the election or by leaders across Big Apple institutions. But Paterson said Wednesday he was dropping the idea, which Cuomo had publicly endorsed. 'It was an idea to generate conversation. None of the candidates seemed particularly interested, so I considered the issue to be mute,' he said. Cuomo has maintained his runner-up status behind Mamdani in a handful of polls over the last month, while Adams has been struggling to muster double-digit support, putting him in fourth place. Paterson has repeatedly spoken out against Mamdani, who shocked the political world when he won the Democratic nomination and gave Cuomo an electoral shellacking in the primary. 'It would kind of be like comparing a lit match to a forest fire,' Paterson said Wednesday, when asked why he was supporting Adams over the party's nominee. 'Mr. Mamdani has proposed some very interesting concepts and idea. The problem is that he can't really solve them unless he has the resources. And he never really discusses where he's going to get the resources from,' Paterson said. He compared the Queens assemblyman to lefty Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, whose popularity has dipped as the Windy City's budget woes worsen. 'We don't want to go through that. We don't want to have these situations where the government is falling apart and there's no leadership and nobody know what to do,' Paterson said. The endorsement is the latest shift for Paterson, who also worked Walden early on in the lawyer's independent campaign for mayor. Veteran political operative Bill Cunningham predicted that having the backing of Paterson — the state's first black governor who served from 2008 to 2010 — will help Adams and take a bite out of Cuomo's chances of winning the race. 'It will make a difference for Cuomo. His strategy rests on being the choice of moderate to liberal elderly voters of color,' Cunningham told The Post. 'David's endorsement of Adams is like the iceberg cutting a slit at the Titanic's waterline,' he said, 'and it may help Mamdani for the same reason. 'The questions for Adams' team is how can they use it to best advantage given his money problems.' Meanwhile Sliwa, who has a longtime personal and professional relationship with Paterson, thanked the ex-gov for not backing him — calling an endorsement from him the political 'kiss of death.' 'I have political vertigo from my husband-in-law David Paterson,' Sliwa told Politico. 'You went from Adams to Jim Walden to Cuomo, now you are back to Adams. Stay away from me. Say bad things about me! But please don't endorse me.' When asked about Sliwa's comments, Paterson fired back. 'Curtis Sliwa is a kiss of death.'
Los Angeles Times
5 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
To boost police response times, Huntington Beach looks to the skies
The Huntington Beach Police Department typically takes about five minutes to get to a crime scene or emergency situation. Drones will soon cut that time to two minutes or less. The department is expected to launch its Drone as First Responder program on Sept. 13, officials said during a news conference and demonstration Tuesday at the Lake Street Fire Station. Three Skydio X10 drones will be docked on rooftops at strategic locations around the city, including a location near the Bella Terra outdoor mall and one near City Hall, said police Lt. Chris Nesmith. Nesmith, who manages the department's drone program, said each drone has a 2-mile radius. Eventually, the department hopes the whole city will be covered. Drone as First Responder programs have been launching statewide. Large cities such as New York, Chicago and Oklahoma City have started similar programs. 'What we're going to be able to do for the officers on the ground is a huge thing,' Nesmith said. 'You have no idea what you're driving into. This is going to give you a bird's-eye view before you're even on the scene. The officers can watch on monitors while they're en route to the call [to see] what's happening at the call before they get there.' The drones will be controlled remotely from the department's real-time crime center using an Xbox controller, said Det. Taylor Davoren, a Drone as First Responder pilot. The department has 17 officers who will operate the drones, having passed the Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 commercial exam and completed specialized Beyond Visual Line of Sight certification. 'One of the biggest advantages of this program is how quickly we can get on scene to support investigations and prosecutions,' Davoren said. 'In most cases, suspect or vehicle descriptions are critical, but if it takes an officer five minutes to arrive, those details might be gone. With drones, we can often be there in under two minutes and start recording immediately, which will be extremely helpful for these investigations. 'That means we're capturing key details — who was there? How many people were there? What vehicles were they driving? — evidence that has been left behind. This not only helps in making arrests, but building stronger cases that can lead to successful prosecutions.' The program is funded for multiple years for about $120,000 annually, Huntington Beach spokesman Corbin Carson said. That includes equipment, installation, training and ongoing support. Nesmith said Huntington Beach police partnered with Skydio, an American company, due to a possible ban on Chinese drones. He also emphasized that the Drone as First Responder program is not a surveillance program. 'This isn't a 'Big Brother' program, this is a public safety law enforcement program that will be reactive only for calls for service,' he said. The department has been using drone technology since 2018, but previously the drone would have to be taken to a site by an officer and set up. Huntington Beach Mayor Pat Burns, a former pilot for the Long Beach Police Department, said he was enthusiastic about the program. 'Big perimeters take hours sometimes,' Burns said. 'If there's not an eye in the sky, if that helicopter with night vision is not available, sometimes those perimeters can be a nightmare demand on personnel and keeping that perimeter contained. With that eye in the sky, within minutes at times, you can nail that person. The perimeter is broken down and [officers] can go back to doing what they do, serving the people on the streets.' Szabo writes for Times Community News.
