State Investigating Charges of Illegal Voting in O.C., Four Other Counties

Secretary of State Bill Jones is investigating allegations that 56 votes in last November’s elections were cast in the names of dead voters in five California counties, including Orange County.

“Our goal is to make it clear that anyone found guilty of this kind of action will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Jones said.

The allegations were made, he said, by a group called the Fair Elections Foundation, which charged that the illegal votes had been cast in Alameda, Fresno, Orange and Tulare counties, as well as in the city and county of San Francisco.

Jones could not say how many of the allegedly fraudulent votes were cast in Orange County, nor whether the outcomes of any elections could have been affected.

“We hope to pursue it as quickly as we can,” he said, noting that casting a fraudulent vote is a felony. “We would entertain any legitimate complaints.”