An alderperson from Waukegan, Illinois, is under investigation after reportedly attempting to cast a vote in her deceased mother’s name during the upcoming primary election. Sylvia Sims Bolton, 67, is facing felony and misdemeanor charges.
According to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, Bolton has been charged with one felony count related to the mutilation of election materials, along with a misdemeanor charge for disregarding election laws. This situation came to light during a standard post-election review.
Election officials discovered a vote-by-mail ballot linked to Mary Sims, who had passed away. The ballot was mailed on February 5, coinciding with the start of ballot distributions for the 2026 General Primary Election.
On February 12, the registration for Mary Sims was officially canceled following the notification of her death. Investigators allege that Bolton filled out the ballot after this date and submitted it via a secure drop box on February 26.
Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega commented on the efficacy of the election safeguards. He emphasized that the system worked as it should, allowing for quick identification of irregularities.
“The safeguards and verification procedures… worked exactly as intended,” Vega stated. Authorities noted the importance of protecting electoral integrity.
According to investigators, Bolton signed her mother’s name on the ballot and submitted it through an official drop box. Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg highlighted the collaborative effort among several local agencies to address the situation.
“Safeguarding the integrity of our elections is… what the public expects from us,” Idleburg stated.
🚨 An Illinois Democrat politician cast a ballot in her dead mother’s name.
This is exactly why Democrat-run states refuse to hand over voter roll data to the DOJ.
Blue state voter rolls are riddled with fraud, dead voters, and illegal immigrants! pic.twitter.com/cIrJUOrcdq
— Christian Collins (@CollinsforTX) May 28, 2026
Eric Rinehart, the Lake County State’s Attorney, stressed that any attempt at voter fraud must face prosecution, despite the effectiveness of the internal systems.
Officials confirmed that the suspicious ballot was flagged and separated from valid votes before counting could take place. They have also stated that no evidence links Bolton’s actions to her responsibilities as an elected official, hence she was not charged with official misconduct.
Bolton surrendered to law enforcement and was set to appear in court soon after. Authorities have noted a lack of prior investigations into similar voter fraud cases regarding deceased individuals.
For more developments, individuals can access additional reports from reliable news sources.
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