Illinois Official Faces Charges for Allegedly Submitting Deceased Mother’s Ballot

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Bob Grogan has called for the resignation of Sylvia Sims Bolton, a Democratic city official from Waukegan, after allegations surfaced that she submitted her deceased mother’s vote-by-mail ballot. This incident has highlighted concerns about the security of mail-in voting and the protection of voter rolls, even though the irregularity was identified before the vote was counted.

Sylvia Sims Bolton, an alderman in Waukegan, voluntarily appeared before authorities after prosecutors accused her of submitting a vote-by-mail ballot in her late mother’s name during a March primary election. She now faces two charges, including a Class 4 Felony.

A dead person voting, that you’re actually aware that they’re dead, is the easiest voter fraud to find. It’s like somebody leaning over the cash register and grabbing the cash out of the till, said Grogan in an interview with Fox News Digital.

The Office of the State’s Attorney in Lake County reported that a mail ballot for Mary Sims, Bolton’s deceased mother, was issued in February. Shortly afterward, her voter registration was canceled following notification of her death from the state health department. The ballot was later dropped off at an official site, flagged during security checks, and subsequently investigated by the sheriff’s office, leading to the charges against Bolton.

Jason Snead, who leads the Honest Elections Project, emphasized the vulnerability of mail ballots, stating, Mail ballots are especially vulnerable, which is why they should be secured, should never be mailed without a specific request from the voter, and should always be verified before they are tabulated. He also stressed the importance of maintaining clean voter rolls to prevent fraudulent voting.

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office assured that all ballot envelopes undergo automated reviews to catch irregularities that may require further examination. Examples include ballots submitted for the wrong election or linked to canceled voter registrations.

Sylvia Sims Bolton, representing Waukegan’s Ward 1, faces charges of Mutilation of Election Material and Disregarding Election Code. If found guilty of the felony, she could receive a sentence of one to three years in prison, though the law allows for probation or conditional discharge. Additionally, Bolton could be barred from public employment for five years.

The investigation by law enforcement did not find evidence connecting the alleged offenses to Bolton’s city role. Authorities emphasized that their findings related solely to the vote-by-mail system and no prior cases of similar fraud were known.

State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart praised the local clerk’s office for their vigilance, saying, Clerk Vega and his team followed national best practices in order to detect and report this crime. We must say loudly to people that if you improperly vote for others, you will be caught, investigated, and prosecuted.