Operative at center of NC voter scandal is first to cast ballot at his polling place: report

The campaign operative charged with multiple felonies for his role in the 2018 congressional election in North Carolina’s 9th District was the first person to cast a vote Tuesday morning at his polling place, according to an observer.

Local ABC and Telemundo affiliate WSOC reporter Joe Bruno tweeted Tuesday that McCrae Dowless, the man charged with crafting a scheme to harvest absentee ballots in the district ahead of last year’s election, was the first voter in line at the Old Spaulding-Monroe School precinct.

NEW: The first voter at the Bladenboro 2 precinct at Old Spaulding-Monroe School this morning was McCrae Dowless

He is the political operative now facing felony charges for actions that led to today’s new #NC09 election @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/ozexUlUXiL

— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) September 10, 2019

Dowless faces multiple felony charges for crimes such as possession of absentee ballots, obstruction of justice and solicitation to commit perjury, charges that stemmed from his work for Mark Harris (R) in his run against Dan McCready (D) to represent North Carolina’s 9th District in Congress.{mosads}

At least four other people were also charged in the operation, which local news reports indicated spanned two counties and involved residents in rural areas having their ballots illegally collected by Dowless.

Harris eventually withdrew from consideration for a special election in the district after the results of the 2018 race were thrown out and Dowless’s scheme was reported, culminating in an emotional session of testimony during which Harris’s own son, an attorney, told the state’s Board of Elections that he advised his father not to hire Dowless due to concerns about his ethics.

McCready faces state Sen. Dan Bishop (R) in Tuesday’s election for the seat that has remained open since last year.