Former state Rep. Troy Merner was indicted

Former state Rep. Troy Merner was indicted on Feb. 16 for felony wrongful voting. The indictment handed down by a Coos County Superior Court grand jury accuses Merner, 62, of illegally casting a ballot in Lancaster’s 2023 town election while living elsewhere. State law requires a person to vote in the community where they are domiciled. The Class B felony is punishable by 3 1/2 to 7 years in state prison and a fine of up to $4,000. An investigation that found Merner illegally held two elected posts (Coos 1 state representative, Lancaster selectman) and continued to vote in Lancaster months after moving out-of-district to Carroll. He resigned both offices on Sept. 19. Merner also faces three Class A misdemeanors, each punishable by a fine up to $2,000, for submitting false mileage cards for travel.