Waukegan Alderman Charged with Felony for Using Dead Mother's Ballot

Waukegan 1st Ward alderman Sylvia Bolton has been charged with felony for allegedly casting a vote using her dead mother’s voided ballot in the March General Primary Election. Bolton, 67, was arrested by authorities after the Lake County Clerk’s Office flagged the ballot during post-election review. The Illinois ballot for Mary Sims was issued and mailed on February 5, but was flagged as voided on February 12 due to the voter’s death record. A completed vote-by-mail ballot envelope was returned through the secure exterior drop box on February 26. Prosecutors charge Bolton with one count of mutilation of election material, a Class 4 felony, and one count of disregarding election code, a Class A misdemeanor. Bolton is an elected alderman of Waukegan’s 1st Ward. An investigation began in March after the Lake County Clerk’s Office identified and flagged a vote-by-mail ballot associated with a deceased voter during its post-election review process. Election staff conducted standard post-election review and verification for challenged and voided ballot envelopes to ensure all valid ballots were properly processed and counted. Prosecutors stated that all ballot envelopes are reviewed through automated systems designed to identify irregularities and flag ballots requiring additional review. This incident highlights the critical importance of election integrity and the need for rigorous oversight of vote-by-mail ballots in local governance.

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