A campaign volunteer for Neabsco District School Board member Diane Raulston collected signatures to get the candidate on the November ballot before having her voting rights restored.
Prior to the restoration of her voting rights on April 10, 2019, the campaign volunteer was barred from participating in the electoral process. Of the 144 validated signatures she submitted, only 87 of them were collected after her rights were restored.
“The allegations…appear to be correct, however, they do not constitute a crime,” Ebert penned in a letter to Michele White, director of the Prince William County Office of Elections.
No charges will be filed in the case.
Raulston’s opponent for the school board seat, Joseph George, filed a complaint with Ebert’s office asking him to review the matter. In his complaint obtained by Potomac Local, he argued that the signatures collected before April 10 should not count toward the 125 needed to place Raulston’s name on the ballot.
Raulston’s name will appear on the November 5 ballot. The elections office does not investigate.
“…the office of Elections nor the Electoral Board have any investigative authority whatsoever,” elections office chief Michele White told Potomac Local. “Complaints of fraud or requests to investigate election matters are always referred to the local Commonwealth Attorney.”
Raulston did not respond to a request for comment, while George told Potomac Local he had no comment on the matter.
Raulston won the Neabsco District School Board seat in 2015. George also challenged her for the seat that same year and lost by 44 points.
