MOUNT AIRY, NC – The chairman of Surry County’s Board of Elections resigned Wednesday after being arrested on charges of contaminating his granddaughters’ Dairy Queen ice cream with illegal drugs, prompting the state auditor to demand his immediate removal.
James Edwin Yokeley Jr., 66, stepped down from his position following criminal charges that he placed pills containing MDMA and cocaine into Dairy Queen Blizzards purchased for two young girls on August 8. The incident has sent shockwaves through North Carolina’s election administration community.
Yokeley initially contacted Wilmington police that day, claiming his granddaughters had discovered two blue pills in their ice cream from an Oleander Drive Dairy Queen location. However, surveillance footage revealed that Yokeley himself had placed the narcotics in the frozen treats, according to court documents.
Medical personnel who examined the children determined they had not consumed any of the substance. Laboratory tests confirmed the pills contained both MDMA and cocaine, leading to serious felony charges against the longtime elections official.
State Auditor Dave Boliek, who had appointed Yokeley to lead the county elections board for the 2025-2027 term, publicly called for his resignation after learning of the criminal charges. The pressure mounted as election integrity advocates questioned how someone facing such serious accusations could oversee voting operations.
In his resignation letter, Yokeley maintained his innocence while acknowledging the impossible position his legal troubles created. “It’s in the best interest of the State Board of Elections, regarding my own falsely accused circumstances, to step down at this time,” he wrote, expressing confidence that he would “be exonerated of all accusations.”
The case has raised uncomfortable questions about background screening for elections officials in North Carolina. Yokeley had been serving as board chairman without any apparent red flags until the bizarre incident in Wilmington, located hundreds of miles from his home county.
Prosecutors charged Yokeley with contaminating food or drink with a controlled substance, felony child abuse, and felony possession of Schedule I narcotics. He was released from New Hanover County Detention Center after posting $100,000 bond.
The resignation leaves Surry County’s election operations in limbo just as preparations for upcoming municipal elections were getting underway. State election officials are working to quickly appoint interim leadership to prevent any disruption to voting procedures.
Legal experts say the case is particularly troubling because it involves someone in a position of public trust allegedly endangering children. The fact that Yokeley initially tried to blame the Dairy Queen for the contaminated ice cream has made the charges even more serious.
Yokeley’s legal team has not responded to requests for comment, and his next court appearance has not yet been scheduled. The North Carolina State Board of Elections is reviewing whether additional safeguards are needed for appointing county election officials.
