Township woman charged with election law forgery
July 31 2020 PLYMOUTH VOICE.
Plymouth Michigan News
Karen Lynne Rotondo, 57, of Plymouth Township is facing a felony charge after a foiled attempt to obtain an absentee voter ballot in the name of another person.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, on Friday, charged the suspect with one count of knowingly making, filing or publishing a false signature on an absent voter application, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and/or $1,000 fine.
Upon receipt of the application, Township Clerk Jerry Vorva, following established procedures, inspected the document and discovered evidence that the voter application was not executed by the person to whom it was sent.
According to a release by the state Attorney General, Rotondo allegedly forged her daughter’s signature on the application and mailed the application to the office of the Plymouth Township Clerk. The daughter, who now resides out-of-state, was unaware that the application had been filed in her name.
“Serious criminal consequences exist for those who attempt to tamper with our election process…Michiganders should know that absentee ballot applications, which is the subject of this fraud investigation, are not just rubber-stamped and processed robotically. Clerks and other election officials conduct careful examinations of these applications to ensure they are authentic, complete and comport with the law,” Nessel elaborated.
No absentee ballot was actually sent, and no illegal voting actually occurred.
The case was referred to Nessel’s office by the Michigan Department of State.
“As I’ve said before and throughout my tenure, my goal is to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat in Michigan,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
“And make no mistake, when we receive allegation of people trying to cheat, we immediately investigate and if credible, refer for prosecution in order to maintain the integrity of Michigan elections,” Benson added.
Rotondo is scheduled to be formally arraigned on the charge in the next few days.
Plymouth Voice.
