A Pennsylvania man was charged with perjury and unlawful voting after he registered and voted in place of his dead mother and mother-in-law, authorities said.
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said that “even though this was the most secure election in our lifetimes, human history shows that there are always some who will try and criminally cheat any system.”
“The fact that Mr. Bartman was able to register two deceased individuals through the Commonwealth’s online voter registration system should trouble our state lawmakers,” Stollsteimer continued. “After all, the Delaware County Voter Registration Commission can only administer the system our Legislature puts in place.”
Stollsteimer charged 70-year-old Bruce Bartman with perjury and unlawful voting, saying that he used Pennsylvania’s online voter registration system to register his mother and mother-in-law, both of whom are deceased.
Investigators said an absentee ballot for Elizabeth Bartman was received and recorded in the tally of the Nov. 3 election. Bartman reportedly confessed to authorities that he had registered the two dead women.
Authorities said Bartman is a registered Republican and illegally registered both women in an attempt to help President Trump’s reelection prospects.
Stollsteimer said that the incident was isolated, saying that it was the “only known case of a ‘dead person’ voting” in Delaware County despite “conspiracy theories” that claim more widespread fraud occurred.
“Further, the prompt prosecution of this case shows that law enforcement will continue to uphold our election laws whenever presented with actual evidence of fraud and that we will continue to investigate every allegation that comes our way,” Stollsteimer added.
Pennsylvania was included in the Trump campaign’s multiple post-election lawsuits after the state’s controversial decision to expand absentee voting and mail-in voting months ahead of the 2020 election.
The Supreme Court declined to hear the case in Pennsylvania, solidifying President-elect Joe Biden’s narrow victory in the state.
