01.03.08
The former mayor of Roy (WA) Kim Eldridge pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of providing false information on a declaration of candidacy. Although Eldridge faced a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, she received no jail time and was ordered to pay $800 in fines and court costs. In November, she was removed from office, after a stone chip in her windshield led a Roy police officer to discover an unresolved felony theft conviction. The previous felony conviction meant Eldridge was unable to register to vote and thereby ineligible to hold office. The Associated Press has more on the story.
10.30.07
Three of seven defendants in the biggest voter-registration fraud scheme in
Washington
history have pleaded guilty and one has been sentenced, prosecutors said Monday. The defendants were all temporary employees of ACORN when they allegedly filled out and submitted more than 1,800 fictitious voter-registration cards during a 2006 registration drive in King and Pierce counties. Ryan Olson, 28, of Needles,
Calif.
, was the first to be sentenced. He pleaded guilty to two counts of providing false information on a voter-registration application, and was sentenced to 30 days in jail or in electronic home detention. Tina Johnson, 24, of
Tacoma
, and Jayson Woods, 20, of
Elkridge
,
Md.
, also have pleaded guilty to eight counts each of registration fraud, and are awaiting sentencing. Three of the remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled to appear in court in November, and one has been charged with voter fraud and is wanted for failure to appear in court. The Seattle Times has more on the story.
10.26.07
A man charged last summer in a scheme to submit phony voter registration forms pleaded guilty Thursday in King County Superior Court, according to a spokesman for the Prosecutor's Office. Ryan Olson of Needles,
Calif.
, was sentenced to 30 days of detention on a felony charge of providing false information on voter forms, although his case will be reviewed to allow for possible electronic monitoring in his home, the spokesman said. Olson was one of seven workers for a 2006 voter-registration drive conducted by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (“ACORN”) who were indicted in July on charges that they made up names of voters, forged signatures, and turned in bogus registrations to elections officials in
Seattle
. Two other ACORN workers -- Tina Johnson of
Tacoma
and Jayson Woods of Elkridge, Md. -- have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. The cases against the other defendants are pending. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has more on the story.
09.06.07
The Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer both report that the woman who registered her dog to vote (to prove how easy it is to register illegally) has accepted a deal that will allow her to avoid a criminal conviction. Under the settlement approved by King County District Court Judge Mariane Spearman, Jane Balogh, 66, must perform 10 hours of community service, pay $240 in court costs, and not commit any other crimes in the next year. The misdemeanor charge will be dismissed after one year if she complies with those conditions. Balogh said she wanted to fight the criminal charge in court, but decided not to because of the possibility that she could have been convicted of a felony — and stripped, at least temporarily, of the right to vote. Prosecutors threatened to file a felony charge if the case went to trial. For more on the story from The Seattle Times click here. See also “No jail time for
Federal Way
woman who registered dog to vote,”
Seattle
Post-Intelligencer, 09/05/07.
07.26.07
Felony criminal charges have been filed against seven employees and supervisors of ACORN for the fraudulent registrations submitted in King County. The criminal charges are in addition to the settlement requiring ACORN to increase its training and pay fines. The settlement also states that ACORN may be held criminally responsible if the fraud occurs again. (“Officials examine possible voter fraud,” The Seattle Times, 07/21/07)
07.26.07
The Associated Press reports King County has removed 1,762 from the voter rolls because of fraudulent registrations. Pierce and King County have been investigating suspicious and fraudulent registrations submitted by ACORN during the past election cycle. ( “King County removes 1,762 voter names it says were fraudulent,” Associated Press, 7/26/07)
07.11.07
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that eight months after the first of three elections for which King County officials sent ballots to an Australian shepherd-terrier mix, he’s finally off the voter rolls. The dog’s owner Jane K. Balogh, signed him up to vote in April of 2006 with a mail-in registration form. The dog stayed on the voter rolls even after the November election when Balogh sent in the absentee form with VOID written across it and a print of a dog paw. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has the rest of the story.
06.24.07
Jane Balogh of Federal Way is headed to court next Tuesday and could face felony charges in a voter fraud case. Balogh thinks Washington's voter registration requirements are too lax, making the voting system - even national security - vulnerable. As a protest, she signed up her dog, Duncan, to vote, and was able to receive an absentee ballot for Duncan. King Five News has the rest of the story.
06.23.07
The Seattle Times reports that prosecutors in King County are looking at possible criminal charges against ACORN in related to a voter-registration drive held in 2004 and 2006. The Seattle Times has the rest of the story.
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