Politics

Virginia Officials Arrested For Violating Voter Protection Laws

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Phillip Stucky Political Reporter
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Two members of the Altavista, Va., town council were arrested for campaigning in a polling place on Election Day, according to a Wednesday report from a local ABC affiliate.

Both Michele Brumfield and James Higginbotham were arrested earlier this week under the charge, “prohibited activity at the polls.”

The Virginia statute forbids anyone to “loiter or congregate within 40 feet of a polling place,” and the law further forbids anyone to hand out campaign material during that time period.

The two were campaigning well within the boundaries set by local election officials, and were ordered to stop, according to Lynchburg Commonwealth’s attorney Mike Doucette. The two continued campaigning despite repeated warnings.

The local police department asked the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office to investigate, in order to avoid any potential conflicts of interest, according to the report.

The two are still official town council members, according to the local government’s website, and neither has given any indication they plan to resign during the proceedings.

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