State’s Own Numbers Find Nebraska Vote Fraud Rare

Omaha, NE—As Nebraska weighs a Trump Administration request for election information, all part of a nationwide vote fraud investigation, the state's own numbers find cheating at the ballot box rare in Nebraska. Earlier this year as an exclusive investigation by News Channel Nebraska found charges of possible vote fraud in Dawson County—charges that ended in two small fines and no jail time—the state's election chief reported no other similar cases during the 2016 presidential election. The Nebraska Secretary of State’s office told News Channel Nebraska that out of 860,000 votes cast in the state last fall the two Class IV felony charges in Lexington were the only cases of possible vote fraud. Estimates find the two cases representing 0.00023 percent of the state's total vote. The Lexington charges surfaced as President Trump insisted that millions of illegal votes across the country cost him the popular vote against Hillary Clinton. [caption id="attachment_1104128" align="alignright" width="300"] Early Voters Cast Ballots at Douglas County Election Commission[/caption] Trump has since created the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity which is now asking all 50 states to provide certain types of voter information. At least 44 states—some accusing Trump of voter suppression— have reportedly refused. Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale is still considering the request. As for the Dawson County felony case it began when 37-year-old Ali A. Abdullahi and 26-year-old Shueb A. Ali both voted “more than once” last fall. In an interview with News Channel Nebraska, the men's attorney, Derek Mitchell, insisted it was a simple misunderstanding.

Derek Mitchell: “I think it was a mistake. I think what happened is they went into                 register and I believe they voted at that time. And then later they received something in the mail saying here’s your polling place so they then went and voted.

NCN: They weren’t aware that you can’t vote twice?

Derek Mitchell: Or that they voted the first time, that that was the vote. Maybe they thought they were registering, I just don’t know.

A plea deal ended with each man being fined $100.00. Asked how common attempts to double vote are in Dawson County, the Election Commissioner told News Channel Nebraska, “It hasn’t happened here before." Follow Joe on Twitter and Facebook Joe can be heard Tuesday’s at 7:10 a.m. on KLIN radio with Jack Mitchell.