Illinois GOP Chairman Bob Grogan has called for the resignation of Waukegan city official Sylvia Sims Bolton after she was charged with submitting her deceased mother's vote-by-mail ballot during the March primary election. Bolton turned herself in on Wednesday and faces two charges, including a Class 4 felony.
The Lake County State's Attorney's Office reported that a vote-by-mail ballot for Mary Sims, Bolton's late mother, was issued in February, but her voter registration was canceled shortly thereafter due to her death. The ballot was submitted at an official drop box and was flagged by security protocols, leading to an investigation.
Grogan commented that the incident highlights concerns about mail-in voting and voter-roll safeguards, despite the ballot being detected before it was counted. Election integrity advocate Jason Snead emphasized the need for secure mail ballots and clean voter rolls, suggesting that the case illustrates potential vulnerabilities in the voting system.
Bolton has been charged with Mutilation of Election Material and Disregarding Election Code. If convicted, she could face one to three years in prison for the felony charge, along with a five-year ban on public employment. The investigation did not find any links between the allegations and her official duties, and there were no prior cases of individuals attempting to vote on behalf of deceased persons reported.
State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart stated that the Clerk’s office followed best practices to detect the crime and warned against improper voting.