PORT TOWNSEND – Jefferson County’s prosecuting attorney has asked the Port Townsend Police Department to investigate allegations of a voter filling out a ballot for his wife and forging her signature in the Feb. 6 special election.
“The case is currently under investigation,” Juelie Dalzell, the top prosecutor, said Friday.
County Auditor Donna Eldridge requested the legal opinion on Wednesday.
On Feb. 15, the ballot went though the Auditor’s Office process of signature verification, pre-inspection and tabulation, according to Auditor’s documents.
“The signature on the ballot envelope did not match the voter’s signature in our voter registration file, so we challenged the signature and sent the voter a letter.”
The challenged voter responded that she hadn’t voted on the ballot because she was out of the country, according to the document.
Dalzell said the case was referred to the Port Townsend Police Department because it allegedly occurred in Port Townsend.
This is not the first time that the county Auditor’s Office has called for a voting investigation.
In March, the county Prosecutor’s Office sent two letters to residents who voted in more than one county during the 2004 general election.
The letters said that it appeared they made an “honest mistake” and that criminal charges would not be pursued.
“Voting twice will not be tolerated,” wrote David Alvarez, chief civil prosecuting attorney.
In December 2005, criminal charges were not pursued against a Port Townsend woman who sent in two ballots for the November general election.
After examining the evidence and considering the case, Alvarez chose to not file charges.
“We felt there were too many ifs and buts about it,” he said.
The woman accused of mailing back two ballots received a ballot at her home and one that had some else’s name printed in it at her post office box.
It was one of 508 ballots printed with incorrect ZIP codes and mailed out by the Auditor’s Office.
The woman signed and mailed back both ballots.
Attempting to vote when not entitled, attempting to vote more than once or falsely signing the oath is a felony punishable by a maximum imprisonment of five years, a maximum fine of $10,000 or both, according to the voter signature affidavit on the back of each ballot envelope.
