South Carolina elections officials say former state representative Charles Jeter did NOT vote in the state in 2004. That contradicts a TV report this week suggesting Jeter voted twice that year.
Charlotte TV station WBTV found records that appeared to show Jeter voted in both South Carolina and North Carolina in 2004. But Jeter had already moved to Huntersville, and insisted he didn't break the law by voting twice.
Jeter says after the TV report, he asked South Carolina's Election Commission to double-check. The result: The vote in question was cast by his mother, Helen Jeter.
"Unfortunately it took them about two days to find the records from 12 years ago. What they found was the poll worker had taken my mother's vote that she had signed and put it as if I had voted, which was, as I have said, just an absolute clerical mistake by the poll worker," he said.
He says he's frustrated about the original story that questioned his voting record.
"It's always hard to get your reputation back. There's a lot of people across Charlotte who are going to say, 'Oh, Jeter voted twice,' because they're going to remember that headline and not the retractions that are getting ready to come forward saying Jeter didn't vote twice," Jeter said.
Jeter says the TV story had nothing to do with his recent decision to resign from his seat representing the 92nd District in western Mecklenburg County.
On Monday, Jeter announced he was stepping down from his seat and calling off his re-election campaign to focus on his family. He says he understands some might be skeptical and wonder if there's more to the story.
"I get that. You know, but the reality is ... I've got to get back to what's important. I was trying to juggle too many balls at one time. And like any time you start juggling 5-6-7 balls, what happens is they all hit the floor," Jeter said.
Jeter served two terms at the statehouse, and previously was a Huntersville commissioner.
