Here are the top headlines you need to know as you start your day on March 9, 2021.
The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed felony election fraud charges against five individuals in connection with the 2020 general election.
According to the state’s attorney’s office, all five individuals are facing one felony charge of perjury in connection to the election code. Two of the individuals also face forgery charges in connection with the election, according to prosecutors.
“The very foundation of our country is built upon fair and free elections,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement. “It is important that anyone suspected of attempting to interfere in any way in the election process be investigated and charged where appropriate.”
According to prosecutors, three of the individuals are accused of trying to cast a ballot for someone other than themselves. Two other individuals, both of whom reside in Austin, Texas, claimed to have lived in a DuPage County address for thirty or more days prior to the general election, but investigators determined that they had lied about their residency in order to vote.
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The state’s attorney’s office thanked County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek and Deputy Chief Investigator Dave Zdan for looking into the irregularities.
Officials in DuPage County say that more than 491,000 ballots were cast in the 2020 election, and that the five cases represented “an infinitesimal percentage” of those votes.
