Originally published March 16, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified March 16, 2007 at 6:46 PM
King County investigates apparent forgery of hundreds of voter cards
King County prosecutors are investigating apparent voter-registration fraud in the 2006 general election. Dan Satterberg, chief deputy to...
Seattle Times staff reporter
King County prosecutors are investigating apparent voter-registration fraud in the 2006 general election.
Dan Satterberg, chief deputy to King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng, confirmed late Thursday that attorneys from his office will meet later this week to brief their federal counterparts regarding evidence that hundreds of voter-registration cards submitted in King County were forged.
Satterberg said "there are significant irregularities" among a batch of more than 1,800 voter-registration cards submitted to the county by canvassers for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), a national group that represents the interests of low- and moderate-income citizens.
County prosecutors, aided by King County sheriff's investigators, have been looking into the allegations of forgery since election officials noticed that hundreds of the cards submitted by ACORN canvassers appeared to be in the same handwriting.
ACORN has come under scrutiny in several other states for alleged voter-registration irregularities. Four ACORN canvassers were indicted by a federal grand jury in Ohio late last year. On March 6, ACORN submitted a letter to Maleng's office identifying three workers as suspects after an internal investigation indicated the trio "collected a substantial number of applications from two homeless shelters in Seattle.
"While I do not have the training in signature analysis, my review of the applications has led me to decide to refer these three employees to your office to investigate them for possible voter-registration fraud," wrote ACORN attorney Brian Mellor. ACORN is also considering suing the former workers, he said.
Controversy has plagued ACORN's 2006 voter-registration efforts in Seattle. The group submitted thousands of registration cards after a deadline in October. The King County Elections Office determined that the group had failed to submit new registration cards once a week as required by law. Some of the cards submitted on Oct. 9 had been signed as early as Sept. 23.
ACORN claimed it signed up 5,388 voters in King and Pierce counties, part of a national effort to register a half-million new voters.
Pierce County officials have said they found a number of cards missing information, and that an unusual number of them seemed to list homeless shelters as an address. Auditor Pat McCarthy said, however, that she did not recall seeing instances of similar handwriting.
A telephone message left with Pierce County Prosecutor Gerald Horne was not immediately returned today.
Mike Carter: 206-464-3706 or mcarter@seattletimes.com
UPDATE - 09:46 AM
Exxon Mobil wins ruling in Alaska oil spill case
NEW - 7:51 AM
Longview man says he was tortured with hot knife
Longview man says he was tortured with hot knife
Longview mill spills bleach into Columbia River
NEW - 8:00 AM
More extensive TSA searches in Sea-Tac Airport rattle some travelers
![]()

Entertainment | Top Video | World | Offbeat Video | Sci-Tech
nwautos
Are you one of the many hanging onto their old beater? Or do you just love that new-car smell? When did you last purchase a vehicle? Take our poll or....
Post a comment
- Lakewood cop accused of embezzling $150K meant for slain officers' families
- 3 big health insurers stockpile $2.4 billion as rates keep rising
- Agency set to investigate handling of 911 call about Josh Powell
- Quick decisions: How Washington hired its new football staff
- Historic day for gay marriage as another fight looms
- Justin Wilcox's versatile defensive style is the right fit for Huskies | Jerry Brewer
- It's Terrence Time: Enigmatic Ross leads Huskies
- $25B settlement reached over foreclosure abuses
- Social worker recounts minutes before Powell fire
- Club promoter convicted in brutal 2010 murder of Des Moines prostitute
- Gay-marriage bill passes House, awaits Gregoire's signature
434 - Historic day for gay marriage as another fight looming
346 - Sheriff's office unhappy with 911 dispatcher in caseworker's call
282 - 3 big health insurers stockpile $2.4 billion as rates keep rising
235 - Source: NY, California to sign mortgage settlement
205 - Oregon live game thread
152 - Pac-12 picks ... including the UW game
140 - Lakewood cop accused of taking donations for slain officers' families
114 - Department of Justice owes the Seattle Police Department an apology
87 - Thursday morning links --- and a video!!!
72
- State Medicaid program to stop paying for unneeded ER visits
- 3 big health insurers stockpile $2.4 billion as rates keep rising
- Here it is: The secret to stir-fried chicken | Taste
- Local aerospace suppliers say they feel squeezed by Boeing
- Dicks channeled federal money to Puget Sound project his son ran
- 'Gauguin and Polynesia': dazzling mix-and-match | Art review
- Buttoned Up: Nine immutable laws of time management
- Happy Hour: French-accented charm at Gainsbourg
- One man's audacious pursuit of sailing history
- Gay-marriage bill passes House, awaits Gregoire's signature







