Arizona Woman Sentenced for Casting Dead Mother’s Ballot in 2020 Election

A poll worker sorts ballots inside the Maricopa County Election Department in Phoenix, Arizona on Nov. 5, 2020. Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images

A southern Arizona woman was sentenced on Monday for illegally casting an early ballot in her deceased mother’s name during the 2020 general election, officials say.

Krista Michelle Conner, 56, of Cochise County, received three years of supervised probation and was told to pay $890 in fines and surcharges. She also has to complete 100 hours of community service.

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office previously said (pdf) in court documents Conner illegally signed her deceased mother’s early ballot envelope, casing a vote on her behalf.

“Said conduct occurred when KRISTA MICHELLE CONNER, knowingly signed the name of Caroline Jeanne Sullivan to a declaration under penalty of perjury located on the November 3, 2020, General Election early ballot envelope for deceased elector Caroline Jeanne Sullivan,” the office wrote in an indictment.

Her mother, Caroline Jeanne Sullivan died on Sept. 7, 2020, or about two months before the November 2020 elections, authorities said. Election officials in Arizona declared victory for President Joe Biden, saying he defeated former President Donald Trump by about 11,000 votes in the state.

Conner was indicted several months ago and pleaded guilty to one count of attempted illegal voting in Cochise County Superior Court.

Authorities did not indicate whether Conner was registered as a Democrat or Republican.

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office Election Integrity Unit was the agency responsible for looking into Conner’s case, and it was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Todd Lawson.

In another Arizona case, a Scottsdale woman was sentenced to probation in April for voting her deceased mother’s ballot in the November 2020 elections. Also this year, a 70-year-old Lake Havasu City woman was sentenced to one year of supervised probation for voting with her dead father’s name in the 2018 election.

Arizona state law stipulates that power of attorney is not a viable use for a person concerning elections, including casting ballots for another person.

“It is illegal to use power of attorney as a basis for any person to conduct any procedure or transaction concerning elections, including voter registration, petition circulation or signature, voter registration cancellation, early ballot requests or voting another person’s ballot,” according to the state Attorney General’s Mark Brnovich’s office.

Brnovich, a Republican running for Arizona’s Senate seat in the 2022 elections, released a report in April saying there are “serious vulnerabilities that must be addressed and raises questions about the 2020 election in Arizona.”

His office also said a probe found “instances of election fraud by individuals who have been or will be prosecuted for various election crimes.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.