In Nelson County, Virginia, a man who tried to cast his vote twice in the 2023 election has been found not guilty of attempted illegal voting. The jury made their decision on Monday after the defendant argued in court that his actions were part of a personal test to explore potential voter fraud within the system.
Richardson Carter Bell Jr., who is 67 years old and an ardent backer of former President Donald Trump, acknowledged that he had voted early at his local registrar’s office before attempting to vote again at a different polling location on Election Day. Reports indicate that when Bell arrived at his assigned precinct and presented his identification to the election official, the official discovered that his earlier ballot had already been counted.
During a police interview, Bell explained his motives by saying, “I was messing to see if they were gonna let me vote again to see what kind of fraud was going on,” highlighting his intent to investigate the voting process rather than to commit fraud himself.
Following the acquittal, the law firm representing Bell took to social media, celebrating the verdict with a post that proudly declared, “Another NOT GUILTY on all charges!” The post included an image of Bell wearing a red MAGA hat, which symbolizes support for Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign.