Man accused of voting twice found not guilty of voter fraud

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FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A man who attempted to vote twice in Virginia's 2023 election was acquitted of attempted illegal voting on Monday, following his claims in court that he had been testing the system for voter fraud.

A Nelson County jury found 67-year-old Richardson Carter Bell Jr. not guilty of attempting to vote more than once in the same election. According to the Washington Post, Bell, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, admitted voting early at his local registrar’s office only to also show up at a nearby polling place on Election Day.

Bell went to his local precinct and showed his ID to an election official, and when she entered him into the system she learned his ballot had already been processed, according to Cardinal News. In a police interview, Bell said: “I was messing to see if they were gonna let me vote again to see what kind of fraud was going on.”

On Tuesday, the firm representing Bell, posted on Facebook: “Another NOT GUILTY on all charges!”

Attached to the post was a photo of Bell wearing a red MAGA hat, referencing Trump’s “Make America Great Again” platform.