Atascadero Republican activist charged with electioneering at polling place
May 10, 2017
Following the release of a YouTube video published by an opponent of the rejected Santa Margarita quarry project, an elderly Atascadero activist has come in the cross hairs of state prosecutors and is now facing charges.
Edith Knight is facing two misdemeanor counts, and if convicted, could serve up to a year in jail. Knight is accused of violating a legal prohibition on campaigning within 100 feet of a polling place on election day.
During the June 2016 primary election, Knight was filmed while sitting inside the Atascadero Elks Lodge and talking on the phone with a voter. The Elks Lodge was serving as a poling place at the time.
In the YouTube footage, Knight can be heard referencing a voter list that she appears to be holding. Knight asks the person on the phone whether he or she is “planning on coming down.”
Toward the end of the conversation, the individual holding the camera chimes in, saying “you can’t do that in here.”
In the description of the video, a YouTube user with the name “No Quarry on 58” states Knight began the phone conversation by saying she was calling on behalf of the election campaign of Supervisor Debbie Arnold.
“The individual calling people from a list (seated under the picture of the Elks Lodge President) is Edith Knight of Atascadero. I was so shocked she was doing this I videotaped her conversation. What I missed was that she started the call with I am calling on behalf of the campaign to elect Debbie Arnold.”
In the previous election cycle, Knight contributed $837.50 to the campaign of District Attorney Dan Dow, according to Dow’s financial disclosure. The county district attorney’s office did not say whether they are not prosecuting the case due to a conflict of interest.
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