New Concerns About The Ease Of Accomplishing Voter Fraud

by Kirk Hawkins, Photojournalist Chris Keimig

Story Created: Oct 25, 2012 at 10:10 PM EDT
Story Updated: Oct 25, 2012 at 11:38 PM EDT

SALISBURY, N.C.--"She printed this out and said take this in the other room and they'll give you your ballot," Salisbury, North Carolina Resident Vicki Horn said she was one signature away from
voting for her mother earlier today. "If I wasn't honest, I would have signed it and got a ballot. Voted my way," she said.

Vicki's mother is Margaret Thompson and she showed us her death certificate. Thompson passed away in 1997. She last voted in 1996 and has remained on the voter rolls ever since. The Rowan County Elections Director says if her family wants to change that, they can come here to the elections office. "I told them that she was deceased," Horn said she did that in 1998, "And I went down to the board of elections office and told them," she said.

"This lady showed how easy it is for dead people to vote in North Carolina," said Jay DeLancy of the Voter Integrity Project of North Carolina. Delancy said election officials are allowed to make changes to voter rolls due to death, felony convictions and address changes up to election day. But, sometimes those changes don't happen. "This system doesn't reward election workers for
getting names off the roll. If anything it punishes them for taking off the wrong person," DeLancy said.

Vicki's maiden name and married name are both also on the voter rolls. But, she's more worried someone else could take advantage of her mom's identity, "I'm afraid other people might use her vote," Horn said.

The challenge of guaranteeing one voice, one vote in a state without Voter Identification laws. As for Horn's maiden name still being on the voter rolls, the Rowan County Elections Director said anyone in that situation just has to contact them. If you have voting conerns, contact your local board of elections.

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