The Racine County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) has addressed concerns in the community involving allegations of voting fraud within the website, My Vote Wisconsin.
On the website, with only a person’s name and date of birth, anyone can request another person’s ballot, the sheriff's office said Wednesday. Once a person does that, they can then have that ballot sent to any address that’s entered.
According to the sheriff's office, no photo identification is required and the person requesting the information can make a declaration of being indefinitely confined, meaning a voter does not need to show an acceptable photo ID to vote.
Because of this, for current and future elections, the requestor will be sent someone else’s ballot at the different address provided, RSCO said in a statement.
“I am disheartened by the apparent vulnerabilities in My Vote Wisconsin that are ripe for fraud,” said Sheriff Christopher Schmaling in a news release Wednesday. “And everyone – no matter their political leanings – should join in requesting a thorough, state-wide, investigation into this significant election integrity issue.”
There have been a few complainants that have tested this voting flaw on the website.
According to RCSO, one had a second party request their ballot and had that ballot sent to the second party’s address. The second party obtained the first party’s ballot with success.
RCSO says another complainant requested the ballot of two well-known government officials and numerous individuals from the state. The complainant reported that he was successful in ordering these ballots to be sent to the complainant’s home because he knew the individuals’ dates of birth and did not need to provide any form of photo identification.
RCSO has contacted the Wisconsin Attorney General’s Office and the Wisconsin Elections Commission to look more into the issue.
The sheriff's office called for the immediate suspension of the function within My Vote Wisconsin where a person can request another’s absentee ballot and have it mailed to a different address, with or without showing any proper photo identification.
The Racine Sheriff’s Office is encouraging the community to report any fraudulent activity associated with your or anyone's voting history.
To do this, go to My Vote Wisconsin and enter a valid name and date of birth to see that person’s absentee status and voting activity. If you believe there are potential legal violations, contact your local law enforcement agency.
