Waukegan Alderman Sylvia Sims Bolton Charged With Felony After Allegedly Casting Dead Mother’s Ballot
Waukegan First Ward Alderman Sylvia Sims Bolton, 67, faces a felony charge after prosecutors allege she cast a mail-in ballot in her deceased mother's name during the March primary election.
Sylvia Sims Bolton, the elected alderman for Waukegan's First Ward, surrendered to authorities Wednesday and faces a felony charge after prosecutors allege she cast a mail-in ballot in the name of her deceased mother during the March primary election.
Bolton, 67, is charged with one count of mutilation of election material, a Class 4 felony, and one count of disregarding election code, a Class A misdemeanor, the Lake County State's Attorney's Office announced.
How the Ballot Was Flagged
The investigation began with a routine post-election review at the Lake County Clerk's Office, not with a tip or a complaint. Election safeguards caught the irregularity.
A vote-by-mail ballot for Mary Sims was issued and mailed on February 5, the first day ballots could legally be mailed for the General Primary Election, according to election records.
The Lake County Clerk's Office processed the cancellation of Sims' voter registration on February 12 after receiving notification of her death from the Illinois Department of Public Health through the Illinois State Board of Elections voter registration system, prosecutors said.
"The safeguards and verification procedures in place within our election system worked exactly as intended," Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega said. "Our staff followed established protocols, identified the irregularity, and immediately coordinated with law enforcement to ensure this matter is thoroughly investigated."
Despite the cancellation, a completed vote-by-mail ballot envelope for Mary Sims was returned through a secure exterior drop box located outside the Lake County Clerk's Office on February 26.
The ballot was flagged as voided and segregated from valid ballots after being run through the intake process. During a standard post-election review on March 27, election officials confirmed the voter's death record had been processed prior to the return of the ballot.
The matter was escalated internally and reported to the Lake County Sheriff's Office for investigation.
The Charges
Prosecutors said a sheriff's detective confirmed the returned envelope contained a marked ballot. Investigators obtained statements from clerk's office staff and collected evidence as part of the investigation.
According to prosecutors, Bolton received her mother's mail ballot after her mother died. Bolton filled out the ballot and signed Sims' name to it, knowing it was not possible for her mother to vote. Bolton then allegedly submitted the ballot to an official clerk's office ballot drop box.
Charges were filed against Bolton on May 19. She surrendered Wednesday morning to the Lake County Jail and appeared in Lake County Court in Waukegan.
A spokesperson for the State's Attorney's Office said Bolton was released on her own recognizance. Her next court appearance is scheduled for July 2 at 9 a.m. in Lake County Court in Waukegan.
If convicted on the felony charge, Bolton could receive probation or be sentenced to between one and three years in prison, State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said.
What Officials Are Saying
Lake County officials say they are unaware of any previous investigations related to individuals using the vote-by-mail system to vote on behalf of deceased people in Lake County.
Clerk Vega said the only other situation involving voting fraud during his nearly four-year tenure involved an individual who cast a ballot in Lake County and later tried to do the same in Wisconsin.
"While Lake County's internal protocols and automated systems are effective, any attempt at voter fraud undermines democracy and must be prosecuted," Rinehart said.
The investigation did not uncover any facts linking the allegations against Bolton to her city duties, the state's attorney's office said. She has not been charged with official misconduct.
David Motley, the public relations director for the city of Waukegan, said the city does not comment on pending or ongoing litigation. Bolton could not be reached for comment.
Mary Sims died on January 12, according to Richard Bradshaw, a licensed funeral director with Bradshaw and Range Funeral Home in Waukegan.