SouthernWorldwide.com – An Illinois Republican Party chairman is urging a Democratic city official to step down following allegations that she submitted her deceased mother’s mail-in ballot. This incident has amplified concerns among conservatives regarding the security of mail-in voting and voter roll maintenance, despite the ballot being intercepted before it could be counted.
Sylvia Sims Bolton, a Waukegan city alderman, surrendered to authorities on Wednesday. Prosecutors allege that she submitted her late mother’s vote-by-mail ballot during the March primary election. This action has led to two charges, including a Class 4 felony.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office in Illinois reported that a vote-by-mail ballot for Mary Sims, Bolton’s mother, was initially sent out in February by the Lake County Clerk’s Office. However, within days, the same office processed the cancellation of Mary Sims’ voter registration. This occurred after the Illinois Department of Public Health notified the state’s Board of Elections voter registration system of her passing.
After Bolton deposited the ballot into an official drop box, it underwent the county’s standard security and verification procedures. These protocols identified that the voter’s death record had been processed before the ballot was submitted. This discrepancy triggered an investigation by the sheriff’s office, ultimately resulting in the charges against Bolton.
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Election integrity advocate Jason Snead, who leads the Honest Elections Project, commented that the Bolton case “plainly shows that voter fraud occurs.”
“Mail ballots are especially vulnerable, which is why they should be secured, should never be mailed without a specific request from the voter, and should always be verified before they are tabulated. This case also shows how essential it is to maintain clean voter rolls,” Snead stated. “Had the list maintenance process been slower, it is possible this illegal vote would have been counted before the fraud was discovered. Unfortunately, too many states—particularly blue states—actively resist commonsense safeguards, which begs the question: how many other illegal votes have slipped through the system?”
A press release from the Lake County State’s Attorney Office detailed that “all ballot envelopes” are subjected to review by automated systems. These systems are designed to flag any irregularities that might warrant further examination.
Examples of irregularities that could be flagged include issues with readability due to barcode problems, ballots submitted for the incorrect election, ballots that have been previously rejected, and ballots linked to a canceled voter registration record. Less apparent irregularities, such as a ballot being overweight or underweight, can also be detected.
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The investigation into Bolton, who represents Waukegan’s Ward 1, commenced in March, and she surrendered on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for Rinehart’s office. She faces charges of Mutilation of Election Material, a Class 4 felony, for allegedly knowingly falsifying election material. She is also charged with Disregarding Election Code, a Class A misdemeanor.
If convicted of the felony charge, Bolton could face a prison sentence of one to three years. However, Illinois law also permits probation or conditional discharge for Class 4 felonies. The election material charge carries an additional consequence: a five-year ban from public employment upon completion of the sentence. A conviction for a Class A misdemeanor typically involves less than one year in jail and a potential fine.
The State’s Attorney’s office clarified that the law enforcement investigation “did not uncover any facts linking these allegations to her city duties.” They further noted that she “is not charged with official misconduct.”
Officials from the State’s Attorney’s office also indicated that they were unaware of any prior investigations concerning individuals attempting to exploit the vote-by-mail system to cast ballots on behalf of deceased individuals.
