Judicial candidate presents fraud case
Challenger questions 30 ballots; 12 thrown out would give him the win
NWI Times
Jun 26, 2003
nwitimes.com/news/local/judicial-candidate-presents-fraud-case/article_7fa2801a-6fb2-5771-b3bd-49cd0c0a1641.html
CROWN POINT - The candidate who lost by a sliver in May's Democratic primary election for Schererville town judge disputed dozens of mail-in ballots Wednesday and revealed evidence apparently showing at least three voters do not live in the state.
In all, Kenneth Anderson tried to convince a Lake County election board panel that 30 ballots should be disqualified. Anderson lost the Democratic primary to incumbent Deborah Riga by 11 votes. Riga lost at the polls, but was able to gain the slim victory with absentee votes.
Anderson is only contesting absentee votes and believes he has proof voter fraud took place.
"There are people trying to steal an election here," Anderson said before Wednesday's hearing. "This is the worst form of theft in the U.S., when people are out there falsifying elections."
Riga refused to speak to the press. However, Nick Thiros, one of her attorneys, said Riga feels the election was won "fair and square."
The election board panel held off its decision Wednesday to allow Riga time to defend against Anderson's accusations on Friday, which is the deadline to change election results.
The cornerstone of Anderson's case is the 10th Precinct on the east side of Schererville, where 23 voters mailed in absentee ballots supporting Riga and only one voted for him.
He is hoping to get all the absentee votes in that precinct thrown out, which could happen if he proves that area's election was awash in strong-armed votes and fraudulent ballots.
Anderson, who is a Schererville lawyer, presented documents to the panel showing three absentee voters supposedly from the same household in the 10th District did not live in Schererville. The voters, using a Schererville address, allegedly requested their ballots be sent to Crown Point. But they moved to Norridge, Ill., two years ago, according to documents presented to the panel.
In addition, the current residents of the house voted at the polls on election day, polling records show.
A person contacted at the Norridge address confirmed the family had moved there from the Schererville address two years ago, but declined to comment further. Messages left at the Crown Point address were not returned.
Anderson said 18 applications from the 10th Precinct appear to be filled out, at least in part, by the person who filled out the Illinoisans' ballot applications. And in one of those cases, the voter's name was misspelled and signed backward - first name last - on the ballot.
In other precincts, Anderson said he found five instances where he thinks the signatures on ballot applications and ballots do not match. In two more instances, voters did not sign the correct part of the absentee ballot.
If the election panel decides to throw out all 23 of the 10th Precinct's ballots, or even 12 absentee ballots all together, Anderson will win the primary. There are currently no Republican candidates lined up for the general election.
A decision is expected at Friday's meeting when Riga's lawyers are expected to bring in voters whose signatures are disputed.
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