Poli Alert Politics & Civics
Related Articles
A state-appointed elections official in North Carolina has resigned after being arrested and accused of slipping illicit drugs into his granddaughters’ ice cream, authorities said Thursday.
James Edwin Yokeley Jr., 66, stepped down as chairman of the Surry County Board of Elections following his arrest earlier this week. Police said he placed narcotics into desserts purchased for his two juvenile granddaughters at a Dairy Queen on Aug. 8.
In a resignation letter to the State Board of Elections, Yokeley maintained his innocence but said it was in “the best interest” of the board for him to step aside.
“This decision has not been made lightly,” Yokeley wrote. “After much prayer, thoughtful reflection and consultation, I have concluded that it’s in the best interest of the State Board of Elections, regarding my own falsely accused circumstances, to step down at this time.”
Police: Video showed pills placed in ice cream
Yokeley told police at a Sheetz gas station that his granddaughters had discovered “two hard objects” in their ice cream. Officers later determined the pills were illegal narcotics, but video footage reviewed by investigators showed Yokeley himself placing the substances into the desserts, Wilmington police said.
The children did not consume the tainted ice cream. Yokeley was charged with felony child abuse and contaminating food with a controlled substance.
He was booked into custody and later released. Attempts to reach Yokeley or his family for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.
Political background and controversies
Yokeley was appointed to the county elections board by State Auditor Dave Boliek in June 2024. Boliek called for his resignation after the allegations surfaced.
“With his resignation, the Surry County Board and State Board can now, without distraction, move forward with the process of appointing a replacement,” Boliek said in a statement.
Yokeley previously ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Surry County Board of Education in 2022, finishing third in a Republican primary. During that campaign, he frequently questioned the integrity of the 2020 presidential election and criticized national COVID-19 policies.
Following his campaign, Yokeley continued posting online about vaccine skepticism, citing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Children’s Health Defense group and claiming — without evidence — that COVID-19 vaccines caused widespread harm. Scientific studies, however, have consistently shown the vaccines to be safe and effective.
What’s next
The State Board of Elections is expected to appoint a replacement for Yokeley in the coming weeks. The Surry County Board oversees election administration in the northwestern county, which includes the city of Mount Airy.
Yokeley, in his resignation letter, said he remains “prayerfully confident” he will be exonerated.
Meta description: North Carolina elections chair James Yokeley resigned after being arrested and accused of spiking his granddaughters’ ice cream with narcotics.
