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A view a sample ballot at the Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services building on September 20, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Today is the first day of early voting in Minnesota ahead of the 2024 presidential election this November. (Photo by St
NASHWAUK, Minn. (FOX 9) – A Minnesota woman is accused of voter fraud after she admitted she filled out her mom’s absentee ballot for Donald Trump after her mom died, according to criminal charges.
What happened?
Danielle Christine Miller, 50, of Nashwauk, Minnesota, is accused of felony voter fraud after she allegedly voted for her mother, who died in August, via absentee ballot.
According to the criminal complaint, on Sept. 20, the Itasca County Auditor’s Office mailed absentee ballots to citizens living in Itasca County. Then, on Oct. 7, the Auditor’s Office received two signed ballots for Miller and Rose Maria Javorina. However, Javorina died on Aug. 31.
Each signature envelope for the absentee ballots includes two sections that need to be filled out by the voter and a witness. The voter must sign stating they “certify that on Election Day [they] will meet all the legal requirements to vote.” The witness must then complete a section that includes their name and street address, certifying that the ballot was blank before the voter voted; the voter marked the ballot in secrecy; the voter enclosed and sealed the ballot in the ballot envelope; and that the witness is or has been registered to vote in Minnesota, is a notary or is authorized to give oaths.
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Charges state that on Miller’s ballot signature envelope, the witness section was completed by Javorina. On Javorina’s ballot signature envelope, the witness section was filled out and signed by Miller and the voter portion was signed by “Rose Javorina.”
The Itasca County Auditor, upon receiving the ballots, contacted the Itasca County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 9 regarding possible voter fraud. The ballot envelopes hadn’t been opened, but were flagged for fraud based on the sealed signature envelopes, charges state.
The sheriff’s office compared both signature envelopes — they were both filled out in black ink and appeared to be similar, charges state. The sheriff’s office compared the signatures on the envelope to the driver’s license signature of Miller, and noted “they appeared to be very similar and appeared to match each other.”
Woman admits she voted for Trump for her mom
On Oct. 11, the sheriff’s office spoke with Miller about the ballot signature envelopes. She said she filled out her mom’s absentee ballot and signed her mom’s name on the envelope. She admitted her mom was an avid Donald Trump supporter and had wanted to vote for Trump, but she died before the absentee ballots were received.
Miller also admitted she filled out her own absentee ballot and signed her mom’s signature as the witness to her ballot.
Miller is charged with two counts of absentee voting — intentionally making or signing a false certificate and absentee voting —casting an illegal vote or aiding another, which are both felonies.
Miller is scheduled to make her first court appearance on the charges on Dec. 4.