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Haywood County man convicted of voting twice

From Staff Reports

WAYNESVILLE - A Haywood County man was convicted last week of voting twice during the March 2016 primary, according to a news release from state elections officials.

Dewey George Gidcumb Jr., 52, voted in the Republican primary during the early voting period and again on Election Day, the release states. He received a suspended sentence of five to 15 months, 12 months of supervised probation, 24 hours of community service and a $100 fine, plus court costs.

“One person, one vote,” District Attorney Ashley Welch said in the release. “That’s what this case is about. Regardless of political views or party affiliations, the very foundations of our democracy depend on fair voting practices.”

The Haywood County Board of Elections contacted state elections officials after discovering the issue. Following an investigation, state Board Chief Investigator Joan Fleming referred Gidcumb’s case to the district attorney.

The jury found that Gidcumb “not only voted twice, but that he did so with intent to commit a fraud, which is required under state law in such cases,” the release states.

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