A man who served as chief elections judge in a Minnesota municipality has been indicted on two counts for allegedly letting 11 people vote even though they were not registered.
Authorities began investigating after Hubbard County Auditor Kay Rave found no completed voter registration forms among the ballots and other materials returned by Timothy Michael Scouton, 64, of Nevis , who had been chief election judge in the Badoura canton constituency, according to a criminal. complaint filed Friday.
Another election judge told a county sheriff’s office investigator that Scouton had ordered them not to use the registration forms, according to the complaint, while another said Scouton told them that new voters all they had to do was sign the back of a book.
The complaint says the investigator then met with Scouton at the sheriff’s office. He was advised of his rights but refused to make a statement and was subsequently placed under arrest, according to the complaint. The complaint did not give any potential motive.
Scouton made his first court appearance on Friday and was released pending his next hearing on January 6. He did not immediately return a call seeking comment Saturday and his attorney declined to comment on the case.
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon’s office called the allegations “extremely serious” and said they should be fully investigated.
“Election judges take an oath to administer elections according to the law. Willfully failing to do so is illegal and a betrayal of the public trust,” the office said in a statement.
The charges carry maximum penalties of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
Badoura Township is just east of Park Rapids, about 160 miles northwest of Minneapolis.
