Christopher Paul, 46, signed up on 6 August to run for chief of police in Elizabeth, a village in south-western Louisiana. He was arrested on 8 September over allegations that he raped two girls in 2005 and 2006, and is currently out on $60,000 bail.
The only other candidate, Zachary LaCaze, announced on 23 September that he was withdrawing because his candidacy was invalid: he works for the federal government and could not also serve as police chief. "My full-time job is what provides for my wife and son, and I cannot take that away from them," LaCaze wrote in a social media post. His withdrawal came well after the sign-up deadline, meaning Paul will be elected by default.
Under Louisiana law, only a felony conviction would make Paul ineligible to take office when the term begins on 1 January. It is unclear when or how the criminal case against him will be resolved before that date.
The Youth Peace & Justice Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to preventing violence against children, has called on Paul to step aside while the case is pending. Elizabeth's mayor, Mandy Leo Green, said neither her office nor the village governing council "can alter the ballot", and stressed that charges are allegations, not a conviction. "Under the law, anyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law," she said.
The village's governing council has approved a special election on 12 December at which residents will decide whether to make the police chief an appointed position rather than one chosen by voters.