Mahoning investigates voter fraud

By David Skolnick

The county sheriff’s office is investigating the validity of some registration forms.

YOUNGSTOWN — While there are accusations of large-scale election fraud across the nation, there are about 60 potential cases of it in Mahoning County.

Most of the problems are registration forms submitted with forged signatures and incorrect Social Security numbers of those who are already registered to vote, said Joyce Kale-Pesta, Mahoning County Board of Elections deputy director.

“The signatures aren’t even close,” she said. “It looks like someone took some names out of the phone book.”

The board has the names of those who submitted the questionable forms. Kale-Pesta didn’t know if the registration forms were submitted as part of an effort by a particular organization.

Also, the board received 14 returned forms it mailed to people who had asked for absentee ballots, she said.

The forms were returned by the U.S. Postal Service as undeliverable, Kale-Pesta said.

All of the questionable forms were sent to the county sheriff’s office for investigation, but any prosecution would come after Tuesday’s election, she said.

“I have two detectives assigned to look at the forms and investigate,” said Sheriff Randall Wellington.

“This is a serious felony and something we don’t take lightly.”

Wellington said his staff will meet with officials at the county prosecutor’s office to consider prosecuting those who turned in the questionable registration forms.

There have been questions raised throughout Ohio and the rest of the nation about the validity of some registration forms and the eligibility of some voters.

Election officials in Trumbull and Columbiana counties in Ohio and Mercer County in Pennsylvania say they’ve had no problems with questionable registration forms.

skolnick@vindy.com