Vote fraud in Wisconsin

2010 election

Felony voting convictions

See also: Felon vote fraud

October 20, 2010 Milwaukee felons David Lewis and Ramon Martinez, have admitted to illegally voting in the November 4, 2008 election. They were charged with election fraud by registering to vote and then voting in the election during the time that they were on an active period of supervision for a felony offense. Wisconsin law prohibits felons from voting in an election. The two were convicted in Milwaukee County and are awaiting sentencing on November 9, 2010.

Each of the felons faces a possible penalty of up to 3 1/2 years in prison and a $10,000. fine.

Complaint filed citing racial discrimination in felony voter fraud charges

See also: Felon vote fraud

October 20, 2010 Felon voting is also being challenged by two African-American men in Wisconsin who were charged with fraud, claiming that the Wisconsin ban on felon voting racially discriminates and violates federal law because felons in Wisconsin are more often African-American than white. Michael Henderson and Olando Maclin filed criminal complaints earlier this year. Their attorney argues that the ban on felon voting was originally enacted as an effort to deny former slaves the right to vote, and therefore should be overturned. The state Justice Department has pointed out that the ban was part of Wisconsin statues before black suffrage in Wisconsin, and does not intentionally discriminate against minorities. The American Civil Liberties Union has supported the claims of the complaint, asserting that the underlying practice of not allowing convicted felons to permanently lose their right to vote is discriminatory against those who have been convicted of a felony and should be abolished.

The complaint will be considered by Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Richard Sankovitz in November.

2008 election

Felony voting

See also: Felon vote fraud

The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board announced in September 2009 that it had identified up to 195 felons who may have illegally voted in the November 2008 presidential election. The agency said it will give names to district attorneys for further investigation and prosecution by October 9, 2009. In Wisconsin, it is a crime for felons under state supervision, including those on probation and parole, to cast ballots. The state agency identified the felonious voters by comparing the list of those who voted in November 2008 against a list of the names of felons on state supervision.

Voter registration fraud

Voter registration fraud

Latoya Lewis pled guilty on October 12, 2009 on charges of voter registration fraud. Lewis, who was working for ACORN when she committed the acts in 2008 that led to her guilty plea, said she was trying to "meet her quota as a paid registrar".

2006 election

Sandderea Ramsey

Felon vote fraud

Sandderea D. Ramsey admitted to investigators that she voted at the Villard Avenue Library, 3310 W. Villard Ave., and she had signed a voter-registration form that stated she wasn't serving time for a felony conviction. At the time, she was on probation for a 2004 felony cocaine charge. This resulted in a charge of illegally voting. Ramsey pled guilty on a lower charge.

Michael Zore

Voting more than once

Michael Zore of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin voted in Wauwatosa and West Allis in a six-hour span in 2006 and was subsequently convicted of double-voting. Zore was sentenced to one year in the Milwaukee County House of Correction..

Michael McGee

Alderman Michael McGee, Jr. an Alderman in Milwaukee's 5th District ward which represents the North Side of Milwaukee was charged in 2007 of vote buying and also colluding in which businesses got licenses for selling liquor, etc. McGee was charged in both state and federal courts and in his federal case in 2008 was found guilty and was sentenced to six and a half years in federal prision, and also a separate trial on state charges on voting fraud and corruption in office.

2004 election

Double balloting

During the 2004 election, Sandburg Hall at UW-Milwaukee was a polling place and there was a reported incident that the voting machine used at Sandburg Hall produced more votes than the registered amount of voters that were in the Milwaukee Police Commission's data.

Double voting

Voting more than once and Absentee ballot vote fraud

During the 2004 spring election, UW-Eau Claire student Michael Howard was accused of voting twice during the 2004 spring election in Outagamie County. Howard was charged with a felony that could carry a maximum penalty of 42 months in prison and extended supervision, plus a $10,000 fine. The criminal complaint filed by Outagamie County District Attorney Carrie A. Schneider, who contends that Howard voted in the April 6, 2004 election with an Appleton absentee ballot and again in person in Eau Claire.

Felony voting

In 2004, a woman from Milwaukee woman who voted even though she was still a felon under state supervision was convicted of illegally voting under state supervision. Kimberly Prude and nine other felons were later charged with illegal voting. Prude, on probation for a Waukesha forgery conviction, voted in October 2004 along with others during a rally featuring the Rev. Al Sharpton. She followed the crowd to City Hall in Milwaukee, registered to vote, and submitted an absentee ballot. In 2007, a Wisconsin Appeals Court upheld her conviction as Prude served two years in prison for illegally voting .