County elections trustees discuss possible charges regarding suspected illegal absentee ballot applications

Lake County Elections Board trustees today will discuss the possibility of criminal charges being brought against at least two issue advocacy groups and potentially a political candidate regarding suspected illegal absentee ballot applications.

Janet F. Clair, elections board director, said she is investigating numerous applications and is likely to ask trustees to refer the matter to Lake County Prosecutor Charles E. Coulson. Her investigation had not concluded Tuesday, she said.

Trustees will meet at 8:15 a.m. today in Painesville.

Clair said questionable applications have come in from large neighborhood blocks in which the entire area is requesting absentee ballots.

Others have come from an issue advocacy group canvassing nursing homes, she said.

Several signatures on some ballot applications also appear not to be genuine, Clair said.

'Whenever we see a red flag, we investigate,' Clair said.

'We're trying to monitor the election to make sure everyone is voting properly.'

Clair said felony election fraud charges might be a possibility.

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