Eyes of the 9th congressional district have been focused on the state Board of Elections and how they handled McCrae Dowless for three months.
We now focus on Robert J. Higdon Jr. and Lorrin Freeman. He occupies the position of United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the 44 eastern-most counties of the state. She’s the district attorney in Wake County, where an SBI probe in 2016 uncovered alleged voter fraud with links to Bladen County. New 2018 allegations include some of the same targets.
The findings of an investigation, completed by the staff of Kim Strach at the state Board of Elections, ended with a hearing twice as long as anticipated and the results of the 9th District congressional race thrown out — an extraordinary but rightful action.
This will be a second attempt at federal and state prosecution for mischievous efforts in this district’s voting. Those levels whiffed once each in the time between the 2016 and 2018 election cycles. We can’t afford another strikeout.
The first week of January, we said public confidence in our elections was gone. Eight weeks and futile litigation attempts later, even the Rev. Mark Harris came around.
Bob Cordle, the chairman of the election board, said the hearing showed “the corruption, the absolute mess with the absentee ballots.” He practiced law for half a century before retiring last year. We trust he knows of what he speaks.
At the end of January, with Harris’ last Hail Mary rightfully swatted by a state judge, we asked that justice be served.
With the hearing complete and the chicanery of this election exposed, we emphasize that prosecution to the fullest extent the law will allow are the next steps toward fixing a problem that has lasted for years. There are people who have no business ever touching a ballot again, starting with Dowless and extending deep into his network of hired hands.
Some of us can remember the passions expressed amid Vietnam protests, leading to the 27th amendment (age 18) passing in 1971. Just imagine the times of the 19th (1920, women’s suffrage) and 15th (1870, race) amendments.
The red, white and blue traces its history to a fight for representation. We’ve long sought as a nation to include the voice — the vote — of everyone who qualifies. These amendments and more recent state level acts show how much value we place on our elections.
Those who would do harm to this process, be it politicians, poll workers or political operatives who care only to make a buck, deserve punishment.
Two offices, both in Wake County, now have the responsibility to represent all of us. We’re watching Higdon and Freeman. One of them has to prosecute.
Letting anyone get away with what has taken place in the 9th District would be unconscionable.