The indictment alleges that Dowless “with deceit and intent to defraud, obstruct(ed) public and legal justice by submitting or causing to be submitted by mail absentee ballots and container-return envelopes for those ballots to the Bladen County Board of Elections in such a manner so as to make it appear that thsoe ballots had been voted and executed in compliance with the provisions of Article 21 of the North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 163A pertaining to absentee ballots when the yin fact had not been so executed, to wit: defendant directed individuals to collect absentee ballots from voters, at times instructed individuals to sign certifications indicating they had witnessed the voter vote and properly execute the absentee ballot when they had not, and mailed or instructed others to mail the absentee ballot in such a manner to conceal the fact that the voter had not personally mailed it himself.”