Criminal voter fraud investigation opened into Dallas mail-in ballots

The Dallas County District Attorney's Office said Monday it has opened a criminal voter fraud investigation into suspect West Dallas ballots.

Voters complained they got mail-in ballots even though they had not requested them. Official results in one Dallas council race are still on hold due to the investigation.

The questions started when prosecutor Andy Chatham got a phone call from a man who said his wife got a mail-in-ballot she had not requested. Soon after, complaints started arriving at Dallas County Elections offices.

Prosecutors believe someone may have requested mail-in-ballots for people who did not ask for them. Then after the ballots hit the mailboxes, someone may have gone door to door to encourage those voters to cast their ballot for a particular candidate.

Chatham says the DA's office has never seen possible voter fraud to this scale before.

“Not only people complaining, but the number of mail in ballots that are suspicious, yes, it's unprecedented,” Chatham said.

Chatham started working with elections administrator Toni Pippins Poole to prepare for Election Day. Anyone with record of having already requested a mail in ballot who showed up to vote was given a provisional ballot and could disavow their mail in ballot.

On Monday a judge issued an order that allows the DA's office to examine those disavowed ballots.

"If there is anything fraudulent we're going to find it,” Chatham said.

The DA's office will examine the 700 mail in ballots requested by someone believed to be using a fake name and address.

"It's just a bubble, but believe it or not, some people may put and X some people circle in blue some circle the other way, all of that will be examined to see if there is a pattern and done by the same person,” Chatham said.