UMVA has learned that an alderperson from Waukegan’s 1st Ward faces felony charges after allegedly casting a mail‑in ballot in her deceased mother’s name during the 2026 primary election.
Authorities say the 67‑year‑old official submitted the ballot after her mother’s death had already been recorded in the state’s voter registration system, violating both felony and misdemeanor provisions of the election code.
The investigation ignited when election staff, during a routine post‑election audit, discovered a ballot linked to a voter who had been officially declared dead.
Records show the ballot for Mary Sims was mailed on February 5, the first day ballots could be legally dispatched for the primary, and the voter’s registration was cancelled on February 12 after the death notice was entered.
Despite the cancellation, the completed envelope surfaced in a secure drop box on February 26, prompting officials to flag the irregularity.
Lake County officials confirmed that the ballot was immediately voided and isolated, preventing it from ever being counted.
According to information obtained by UMVA, investigators allege the alderperson retrieved the ballot, filled it out, forged her mother’s signature, and deposited it in the official drop box.
Law enforcement praised the swift coordination among the county clerk’s office, the sheriff’s department, and the state’s attorney, emphasizing that the safeguards designed to protect election integrity functioned exactly as intended.
The accused surrendered to authorities on Wednesday morning and is slated to appear in court later that day.
While the probe uncovered no evidence linking the alleged fraud to the official’s duties as an alderperson, prosecutors have charged her with one felony count of mutilation of election material and one misdemeanor count of disregarding election code.
