Latest news with #voterfraud
New York Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Election Officials Allege Possible Voter Fraud in Republican Primary
The New York City Board of Elections asked prosecutors on Friday to investigate possible ballot stuffing and votes being cast by dead people in a hotly contested City Council race in South Brooklyn. After a second day of hand recounting on Friday, George Sarantopoulos, a businessman, led Richie Barsamian, chairman of the Republican Party in Brooklyn, by a mere 16 votes in the G.O.P. primary in District 47. Particularly troubling for election authorities was the late discovery of 22 paper ballots that officials said were not scanned by the voting machines on election night. The surprise comes on the heels of a report in The New York Post that two absentee ballots were cast by voters who are dead and another by a man who said he did not vote and has no primary voting history going back to the 1980s. One of the dead voters would be 107 years old, the other 101, records show. The board tossed out the 22 potentially fraudulent ballots, but under a 2021 New York state election law modification, the absentee ballots of dead people and of the man who never actually voted were included in the totals because there is no way to tell which candidates benefited. That is because the envelopes with the absentee voters' names are separated from the actual ballots when they are counted. After conducting an internal investigation, the board formally referred the matter to the office of Eric Gonzalez, the Brooklyn district attorney. The office declined to comment. 'While any attempt to compromise the electoral process is deeply troubling, this case underscores the strength of the Board's existing safeguards,' the election board said in a statement posted on X. 'These irregularities were identified early, investigated thoroughly, and resolved swiftly.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Colorado clerks voice alarm at murky ‘official' push to access voting machines
Steve Schleiker, the Republican county clerk in El Paso county, Colorado, got home from work on 16 July when he got a text message from a number he didn't recognize with a pressing request. The person sending the message introduced himself to Schleiker as Jeff Small, a political consultant with the 76 group who had formerly served as Congresswoman Lauren Boebert's chief of staff. He said he was working with the White House and was looking for Republican clerks in Democratic states they could partner with on election integrity. Small wanted to speak soon, Schleiker said, because there was going to be a meeting the next morning between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice. Schleiker spoke with Small that evening, and says Small connected him with an official at the Department of Homeland Security for a follow-up conversation. The official asked if Schleiker would be willing to allow the federal government to access the county's election equipment and see if there were any gaps in the county's network, Schleiker said. Schleiker was shocked by the request. 'I was an absolute no,' he said. 'That is absolutely against the law, it's a felony. And two, it also violates the constitution with states' rights.' At least 10 clerks in Colorado received similar queries from Small, which come as the justice department has shifted its focus from protecting voting rights to investigating voter fraud and election irregularities, and has ramped up requests for information to states about how they keep ineligible voters off the rolls. Justin Grantham, the clerk and recorder in Fremont county, said he also received a phone call from Small asking about the possibility of a third party coming in to access voting equipment. Small had mentioned he was working with the White House on implementing Donald Trump's 25 March executive order on elections. A provision in the measure instructs the homeland security secretary to assess the security of voting equipment 'to the extent they are connected to, or integrated into, the Internet and report on the risk of such systems being compromised through malicious software and unauthorized intrusions into the system.' 'This is the first time ever I've received a request of that nature,' Grantham said, adding that he told Small he didn't believe the president could issue an executive order dealing with elections. 'I'm not willing to let anybody come into my office like that.' Matt Crane, the executive director of the Colorado county clerks association, said Small's requests set off alarm bells. Allowing unauthorized access to voting equipment is a felony in the state. Several clerks and experts said they had never received such a request before. The requests were first reported by the Washington Post. Crane, who consulted for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Cisa), the part of DHS that handled election security from 2019 until 2025, said he had never heard of the federal government trying to access voting machines. 'At no point would anybody from Cisa ever even ask to get hands on voting systems,' he said. 'The optics are bad. If something goes wrong, people could say it was Cisa.' Crane, who held an emergency conference call with clerks last week to discuss the outreach, said all of the officials who were contacted were Republicans using voting equipment from Dominion Voting Systems. Bobbie Gross, the Mesa county clerk and recorder, said someone identifying themselves as Small called her office not asking about access to the machines, but with an even more unusual request. They wanted to know who the county's project manager at Dominion was in 2020 and 2021. 'This is not public information and the request was denied,' she said. The interest in Dominion is significant. Tina Peters, the former Mesa county clerk who espoused unfounded conspiracy theory claims about Dominion, was sentenced to nine years in prison last year for tampering with election equipment after the 2020 election. Trump has called for Peters to be freed and the justice department has tried to assist with getting her case overturned. The justice department also sent Colorado a broad request for election records dating back to the 2020 election last month that some speculated is related to the Peters case. Earlier this month, a Colorado man was also arrested after allegedly throwing a molotov cocktail-type device through the window of a room that houses voting equipment at the county clerk's office. The request also comes as the justice department reportedly asked officials to explore whether election officials who fail to secure election equipment can be criminally charged. Small referred a request to comment to a lawyer, Suzanne Taheri. She said in a statement that Small had reached out to counties on a volunteer basis while on paternity leave from his job at the 76 Group to assist with implementing the executive order. 'Jeff supported efforts by allies in the administration to encourage Colorado election officials to participate in President Trump's election security executive order,' she said. 'The notion that local clerks supporting the implementation of the president's executive order is somehow inappropriate is preposterous.' 'Colorado audits voting machines all the time, under explicit procedures outlined under state and federal law. The executive order that Jeff reached out on would comply with these same laws and to suggest otherwise is dishonest.' The Colorado secretary of state, Jena Griswold, the state's top election official, said that defense was 'completely misleading and dishonest'. 'Of course election equipment is certified, both to state and federal standards. The federal standard certification of election systems is done in a secure environment by experts. It's not done by consultants or representatives of the federal government accessing voting equipment on the ground,' said Griswold, a Democrat. 'That's not how any of this works.' The Department of Homeland Security distanced itself from Small. 'Jeff Small does not speak for the Department of Homeland Security. He does not have any role with DHS and has never been formally authorized to do any official business for the department,' a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement. Crane said he had reached out to local election officials in other states, but no one else had received similar requests. 'You start to wonder, 'is this more than verifying our systems are secure?''
Associated Press
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Investigation finds vote discrepancies in 2024 Kauai election
A Hawaiʻi State Elections Commission investigative panel tasked with examining the 2024 general election on Kauaʻi has found inconsistencies between state and county vote totals, among other concerns. The panel is recommending that the county and state conduct audits of the vote-counting process in order to figure out why the number of ballots cast differs substantially between the two elections offices. The July 13 report from the Elections Commission investigative group found that Kauaʻi County collected 26,414 mailed-in ballot envelopes for the Nov. 4 election but the state Office of Elections says it counted 27,075 mail ballots from Kauaʻi, a difference of 661 votes. Critics of the election process — including some commission members themselves — have been raising concerns about Hawaiʻi's election process and voter fraud for years. The Hawaiʻi Elections Commission is set to discuss the group's reports and its recommendations to ensure that local election results are conducted fairly and accurately at its next meeting July 30. It's unclear whether the discrepancies, if validated, could lead to altering the outcome of individual Kauaʻi races. The official deadline to challenge results has passed, and the results have been certified. While most of the races on the Kauaʻi ballot were not close, the winning margin for at least one Kauaʻi County Council race was just 106 votes. But the committee's report along with recommendations to ensure greater accountability when it comes to voting could significantly alter how the counties and the state conduct elections to ensure voting integrity. Those suggestions include keeping more accurate official daily counts of ballot collections and the presence of official observers for ballot collection and signature verification. Michael Curtis, the Elections Commission chair, declined to comment on the report. Scott Nago, the state's chief elections officer, also declined to comment. Peter Young, the elections commissioner who chaired the group, could not be reached for comment. But during the commission's meeting last week he said, 'I think that what you're going to see is something that can be debated, but should shed light on a situation that we've heard lots of commentary from both our citizens and commission members.' Young described the report as 'not one-sided' and 'actually quite neutral in many cases.' Ralph Cushnie, one of nine elections commissioners and one of the most outspoken critics of Hawaiʻi elections, called the report 'damning.' Cushnie, who like Curtis lives on Kauaʻi, has been speaking out for many months over his concerns about the voting process, especially regarding what's known as 'chain of custody' — that is, the way ballots make it from voters to the county and to state government for tabulating. Cushnie has done his own independent analysis of election results using material obtained through public records requests, and his numbers differ from the official reports for Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi County. Cushnie and his supporters, including dozens of members of the public who turn out in large numbers to testify at Elections Commission meetings, regularly raise their concerns at the meetings. But they have gotten little traction with the commission other than to form the permitted interaction group to look more closely at some of the issues they've raised. Cushnie also lost a case before the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court in December that challenged the Kauaʻi election. In that case Kushnie's group alleged there were 3,772 more ballots cast on Kauaʻi than the state's total. But the high court found no evidence of that. Election Complaints 'Valid' A permitted interaction group — or PIG under the Sunshine Law — allows a board to form a small group to work on specific issues and then report back in open session. The Elections Commission group was specifically charged with collecting information on complaints 'regarding chain of custody and election results discrepancies' on Kauai. The complaints, the group concluded, 'are valid.' Its report said there were no logs or records retained by Kauaʻi County that complied with Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules on the security of ballots — specifically, rules requiring the clerk to maintain a complete and current count of ballots issued, spoiled and received by the county. As well, a count of ballots based on scans of ballot envelopes into the state's voter registration system 'is not reconciled with any manual counts and is not verifiable.' Neither Nago nor the Kauaʻi county clerk, the report said, had a 'plausible explanation' for the discrepancy of 661 ballots between the county and the state. The group said it had several written exchanges with Nago, Kauaʻi County Clerk Jade Fountain-Tanigawa and Kauaʻi Deputy Clerk Lyndon Yoshioka. But their responses did not satisfy the group's concerns. 'Both offices have responded to our requests, furnished documents, and offered explanations,' it said. 'They have not, however, provided a clear understanding of how the checks and balances work, nor have they removed doubt about the integrity of the election procedures. The PIG did not receive documents that comply with the law cited above.' The report also suggests there is a different understanding between the Elections Commission group and election officials as to what exactly constitutes an official count. Yoshioka, in response to questions from the group, said that 'any perceived inconsistency or correction' within manual hand-counts or envelopes 'is irrelevant' to the official results, 'as they do not represent the official count.' The group's response: 'While this quote is true to fact, it does leave the PIG members trying to understand why there is a manual hand-count if it is 'irrelevant' and why this manual hand-count discrepancy is not noted throughout the County's documentation to address this confusion. The word 'irrelevant' is off-putting to the members of the PIG.' Ultimately, the group concluded, there appears to be 'no inventory control' of ballot envelopes, and the Statewide Voter Registration System logs are 'electronic and unverifiable' by the group. 'Although the law clearly makes the Counties responsible for this task and the State assures the people that there is a chain of custody in which every ballot envelope is accounted for, there remain questions,' the group wrote. The report also said there exists no reconciliation process to address differences between what the county and state respectively report. 'One would expect the number of signature-verified ballot envelopes in SVRS to equal the number delivered to the Counting Center, but neither of those numbers are provided in real time, nor are they official,' the report stated. 'Mr. Nago states that the official count begins when the ballot envelopes are scanned by the Counties and recorded in the SVRS. This, then, is where the chain of custody begins, but there are opportunities to remove or add ballot envelopes prior to scanning.' The group's report does not identify by district or precinct where the extra votes were cast. But only 3,491 people on Kauaʻi voted in person in 2024, compared with the 27,075 who voted by mail or dropped ballots off at a dropbox location. The state says total turnout on Kauaʻi was 30,566. The PIG's recommendations include requesting an audit of ballot envelopes collected by the county and transferred to a counting center. The group wants the state to do another audit to confirm the 27,075 mail-in paper ballots in the state's possession. The group also wants the Elections Commission to hold a hearing to find out more about what state and county elections officials know about the vote discrepancies. The commission has also formed a permitted interaction group to examine the results of the Hawaiʻi County general election, something that Cushnie has also raised concerns about. That PIG hasn't started work yet. ___ This story was originally published by Honolulu Civil Beat and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Risk of 'voter fraud' over Labour plans to allow bank cards as identity at polling stations - as party to let 16-year-olds vote
The elections watchdog warned of a risk of voter fraud last night over Labour plans to allow the public to use bank cards to prove their identity at polling stations. Angela Rayner yesterday unveiled a 'seismic' shake-up of Britain's voting system which will give 16-year-olds the vote at the next election and make it easier for people to pass identity checks designed to combat fraud. Existing laws require people to show photographic ID such as a passport or driving licence at the polling station before they can vote. But Labour's plan would make the system more 'accessible' by allowing people to use a bank card as proof of identity, even though it would not allow polling station staff to confirm a voter's likeness against a photograph. The Electoral Commission, which oversees Britain's voting system, last night said using bank cards 'has risks for security and voter trust'. Tory spokesman Paul Holmes also warned switching to non-photographic ID could 'undermine the security of the ballot box'. Prominent Reform politician Darren Grimes said that voting in an election could become 'less robust than collecting a parcel from the Post Office'. During angry exchanges in the Commons yesterday, Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice said the risk of election fraud was already too great. Mr Tice said there were 'grave concerns' about the risk of voter impersonation and told MPs he had witnessed people 'carrying bag loads of postal votes to a polling station on election day'. The row came as Ms Rayner confirmed controversial plans to lower the voting age to 16, despite widespread public opposition. A YouGov poll last night found the public oppose the move by a margin of 57 to 32 per cent. The Deputy Prime Minister brushed aside allegations of 'gerrymandering' and said the move would be introduced in time for the next election. Children will be able to register from the age of 14 and will get the vote at 16, although they will not be permitted to stand for election until the age of 18. Government sources said changes could be made to the national curriculum to deliver 'relevant democratic education in schools'. But critics warned the changes could lead to children as young as 14 being targeted by political parties. Ms Rayner said the change would give young people a 'stake in the future' but the Conservatives said the plan was 'hopelessly confused'. Mr Holmes added: 'Why do they think a 16-year-old should be able vote, but not be allowed to buy a lottery ticket or an alcoholic drink, marry, go to war or even stand in the elections they are voting in?' Former Tory Cabinet minister Sir James Cleverly accused ministers of rushing forward the plans because of panic about Labour's collapse in the polls. But Ms Rayner denied the claim, saying: 'This is about democracy and giving young people an opportunity to have a say.' Pollsters suggested lowering the voting age could give Labour less of a boost than it is expecting. Elections expert Robert Hayward said: 'There is a real risk it will backfire on Labour. Historically, young people have been perceived as Labour supporters but there are clear polling indications young people do not vote for the two traditional parties.' Nigel Farage, who has a large following of young people on TikTok, accused Labour of an 'attempt to rig the political system', but added: 'We intend to give them a nasty surprise.'
The Independent
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Richard Tice claims he's seen people carrying ‘bags and bags' of postal votes to a polling station
Richard Tice claimed he has seen "people carry bag loads of postal votes to a polling station on election day" during a House of Commons urgent question on Labour 's strategy for elections on Thursday (17 July). Describing Reform UK's opposition against giving 16 and 17-year-olds the vote at the next general election, the party's deputy leader said they have "grave concerns about the risks to security and the risks of impersonation of postal voting." Responding, democracy minister Rushanara Ali reassured Mr Tice: "Personating another voter is a deliberate act of fraud. It completely undermines our democracy and is a serious criminal offence that will continue to be prosecuted. If he has examples, he should report them to the police."
