A Minnesota election judge is facing charges for allegedly permitting unregistered voters to cast their ballots during the 2024 election in Hubbard County. Timothy Micheaal Scouton, the head election judge for Badoura Township Precinct, has been charged with one count of accepting the vote of an unregistered voter and one count of neglecting his duties as an election official.
The charges arise from reports that 11 individuals voted without completing the required registration forms that verify their eligibility. An election auditor raised the alarm about the issue, leading to an investigation by the Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office. Despite being informed that the 11 voters had not filled out the necessary paperwork, Scouton allegedly allowed them to vote anyway, violating election procedures.
BREAKING: An ELECTION JUDGE in Hubbard County, Minnesota, has been ARRESTED and charged with two felony counts for allowing 11 UNREGISTERED people to vote in the 2024 election.
His name is Timothy Scouton, and he's now facing up to ten years in prison and up to $20,000 in… pic.twitter.com/xGh2CvKjuk
— Candace (@roycan79) November 16, 2024
Scouton had completed his election judge training in July, which makes the incident particularly troubling, as he should have been familiar with the correct procedures for handling voter registration. In the days leading up to the election, Scouton allegedly instructed fellow judges to ignore the proper registration process. One judge told authorities that Scouton directed her not to use the correct forms and to instead have voters sign the back of a book.
The Minnesota Secretary of State’s office has expressed concern over the situation, calling the charges against Scouton “very serious.” The office emphasized that election officials must follow the law to ensure the integrity of the voting process. “Election judges take an oath to administer elections in accordance with the law,” a statement from the Secretary of State’s office said. “A deliberate failure to do so is unlawful and a betrayal of the public trust.”
ELECTION INTEGRITY: Another election judge has been arrested after authorities in Minnesota learned he was allowing people who were NOT registered to vote in the 2024 election. MN allows same-day registration with ID but the judge just had people sign his book instead. pic.twitter.com/BHcnWaaN7O
— @amuse (@amuse) November 18, 2024
The Hubbard County Auditor acted swiftly, reporting the discrepancies to local authorities, which led to a prompt investigation. As the case moves forward, it highlights the critical role that election officials play in upholding the integrity of the voting system and ensuring that all votes are legitimate.
Minnesota election judge charged with 2 felonies for allegedly letting 11 unregistered people vote https://t.co/nlw4hUfXOp
— The Minnesota Star Tribune (@StarTribune) November 16, 2024
