Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman
The Washington Secretary of State’s Office has found 74 potential possible cases of voter fraud in the state, including one from Lewis County, in the 2016 general election.
The individuals who have been identified voted more than once or voted on behalf of someone who is deceased, according to a press release from the Secretary of State’s Office. Out of the 3.36 million votes cast in the election, those identified as potentially fraudulent make up exactly 0.002 percent.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for eligible citizens to register and vote, while at the same time protect our elections from fraud or abuse that could jeopardize the public’s faith in the system,” Secretary of State Kim Wyman said in a press release. “That’s why our state and county elections departments go to such great lengths to verify individual voter information time and time again.”
The potential cases of voter fraud will be sent to county prosecutors for possible prosecution.
“We are continually vigilant to protect the integrity of the voting rolls and the public’s confidence in elections,” Wyman said in the press release. “We work closely with local elections officials, and when we find credible evidence that illegal voting activity has taken place, we turn it over for further investigation.”
One case was identified in Lewis, Cowlitz and Pacific counties. Three were found in Thurston County.
Five states participated in this study to identify voter fraud. They include Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Maryland and Delaware.
