Skip to main contentA Clackamas County grand jury has indicted a county elections worker with ballot tampering after she was discovered filling votes for Republican candidates during this fall's elections.
Deanna Swenson, 55, of Oregon City, was charged with six counts—four felonies and two misdemeanors—after state Elections Division officials asked for a criminal investigation, as first reported by WW. The Oregon Department of Justice is prosecuting the case.
Swenson was indicted on two counts each of voting more than once, unlawfully altering a ballot, and official misconduct.
According to sources, Swenson filled in bubbles on the mail-in ballots for GOP candidates where voters had left their choices blank.
Swenson told WW that there were only two ballots involved. But Secretary of State Kate Brown later said there might have been as many as six ballots involved. The investigation has raised more questions about way in which Clackamas County Clerk Sherry Hall has overseen the county's elections office, although the indictment issued today suggests Swenson was acting alone.
Here is the statement DOJ released this morning:
WWeek 2015