City Hall News : Couple Say Chang Campaign Asked Them to Vote Illegally

A supporter of Councilman Sheng H. Chang persuaded two Los Angeles residents to vote illegally in the Arcadia council elections and the councilman’s wife mailed in other people’s absentee ballots, said witnesses at a trial to decide whether Chang’s April election victory should be invalidated.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Stephen E. O’Neil began hearing a lawsuit on Friday that was filed by the leaders of Arcadia Citizens for Fair Voting, asking him to set aside Chang’s April 12 win because of election fraud. Chang, who won by 287 votes, has denied any wrongdoing.

Among those bringing the suit are Geraldine Fasching, wife of defeated Councilman George Fasching, and Shao Hua Wen, former president of the Arcadia Chinese Assn.

The suit alleges that Chang won by illegal votes cast by non-residents and non-citizens. It accuses his campaign of registering unqualified voters, paying for votes and collecting absentee votes, which is barred by state law, said Peter Wallin, the group’s attorney.

Sam and Emily Situ, a couple who live in Los Angeles, testified that a friend of the councilman’s wife, Min-Mey, persuaded them to register to vote in Arcadia so they could vote for Chang.

Min-Mey Chang, who ran her husband’s campaign, testified that the campaign had conducted a registration drive among residents. She said the campaign had collected voter registration forms and absentee vote requests to deliver to the city clerk but had not gathered absentee ballots.

But she revealed under questioning from Wallin that she had helped two residents return their sealed absentee ballots to the clerk. She is expected to continue her testimony today when the trial resumes after a three-day break.

Sheng Chang also testified, denying the allegations and saying that his campaigners had specifically asked residents if they were citizens to avoid problems.

The plaintiffs “didn’t present anything to change the election result,” Sheng Chang said Monday. He said he had never heard of Sam and Emily Situ, and that their two votes would not have changed the election’s outcome anyway.

He said his wife did mail in the two absentee votes for residents who asked for help, but she did not influence them, because the ballots were already sealed.

In April’s election, challengers Chang, Mary B. Young and Barbara D. Kuhn ousted incumbents Fasching and Joseph C. Ciraulo. Chang, the first member of an ethnic minority to be elected to the council, received the most votes, 3,805, including 1,438 absentee votes.

Geraldine Fasching said that Min-Mey Chang’s help with absentee ballots is the central thrust of the case. She said, “I think we’re doing very well and the judge is really interested.”