The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office has been busy these days. Currently, the DA is pursuing election fraud cases against two current candidates and one former candidate for local office in SLO County.
Last month, former Board of Supervisors candidate Michelle Morrow was charged with four felony counts of voter registration fraud, filing a false declaration of candidacy, fraudulent voting, and perjury by declaration.
The DA is also investigating Arroyo Grande mayoral candidate Gaea Powell and Paso Robles school board candidate Hunter Breese. Both of them are accused of listing addresses on their candidate filings where they don’t actually live. That’s a felony.
The large number of election fraud cases led the San Luis Obispo Tribune to examine laws and processes in SLO. The Tribune found a couple of shortcomings that could increase chances of malfeasance.
Although candidates are required to live in the jurisdiction where they’re seeking office, in SLO they are not required to show proof of that residency. Similarly, the county is not required to verify their stated residency. The county clerk plays little to no role in investigating residency claims or announcing irregularities. Wrongdoing is considered a matter for law enforcement only.
Of course, election fraud isn’t limited to SLO. Last week, a candidate for the Fullerton City Council in Orange County was arrested and charged for falsifying the signatures needed to qualify for the November ballot.
Election integrity, real and perceived, is critical. Every case of fraud threatens to undermine faith in the Democratic system.
Despite her undersized role in the process, SLO Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano says election integrity is an issue her office cares about, and that it does its best to follow the letter of the law.
“There is nothing my office takes more seriously than upholding the law and conducting local elections that adhere to California elections code,” she told the Tribune.
Read more about the recent election fraud cases in SLO here.