Newspaper report: 82 felons voted in Nov. 2 election

Associated Press    18 March 2005

MILWAUKEE - At least 82 felons voted illegally in November's presidential election, a newspaper reported.

A computer analysis by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel turned up more than 600 potential matches between felons on probation and parole and those who voted in the city, the newspaper reported Friday.

Felons are not allowed to vote until they have completed their probation or parole.

The actual number of felons who voted illegally Nov. 2 could be higher, the newspaper said, but it could conduct only a partial analysis because of a 2003 state law that bars access to voters' birth dates.

"Anybody found to have voted illegally should be penalized," said Sharon Robinson, acting head of Milwaukee's Election Commission after the March 1 resignation of Lisa Artison.

Robinson said her office s names of felons from the registration rolls when it finds out they are felons.

But the same-day registration that allows anyone who present an ID to vote makes it hard for poll workers to identify felons who shouldn't vote.

U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic and Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann launched an investigation into voter fraud Jan. 26 after the Journal Sentinel reported on voting problems in the city.

About 1,200 people voted from invalid addresses, 7,000 more ballots were cast than the number recorded as voting by the city, and 1,300 same-day registration cards could not be processed because of missing information, the paper has reported.

Four years ago, the newspaper found that 361 felons voted illegally. McCann charged three of them, but ped the charges when prosecutors couldn't establish the three knew they were ineligible to vote.

Felons who vote commit another felony, punishable by up to four years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Democrat John Kerry beat President George W. Bush in Wisconsin by about 11,000 votes in November's election.