The State Elections Board referred the matter following a preliminary investigation by its inspector general, according to Matt Carrothers, spokesman for Secretary of State Brian Kemp.
The complaint, filed in July 2009 by attorney Joe Burford, alleges state Rep. Barbara Massey Reece, D-Menlo, her mother and several other people improperly assisted 11 elderly people who voted by absentee ballots in the Nov. 7, 2006 general election.
Reece, who could not be reached for comment Thursday, is unopposed for re-election this year. In 2008 she beat out Republican challenger Betty Brady, 9,406 to 6,257.
Adrick Hall, an investigator for the secretary of state, reported some of the voters also received help in the 2008 elections.
State law requires that anyone who helps a disabled or illiterate voter with a ballot must also sign the oath on the ballot. The State Elections Board is empowered to levy fines for violations.
Action on an investigation of former Chattooga County judge Carlton Vines and a handful of his campaign supporters was deferred to the board’s next meeting.
The SEB asked the attorney general to look into alleged voter fraud in the 2006 state court judge election after a criminal investigation was closed last year.
Criminal charges against Vines were dropped in exchange for his resignation and promise to never accept judicial office again.
The inspector general investigation turned up instances of people improperly assisting with ballots, taking possession of ballots, marking ballots without the knowledge of the elector and delivering ballots to Vines’ office.
In October 2009, the SEB closed without action a complaint alleging the incumbent sheriff’s wife campaigned for her husband within 150 feet of a polling location and his employee mishandled absentee ballots during the Aug. 5, 2008 runoff election.
Ralph Kellett was ousted in the runoff by John Everett, who took office in January.
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