North Cook News

Schaumburg Township Republican Committeeman Joe Folsi is not surprised by the recent announcement of the prosecution of five people accused of voting on behalf of the dead in DuPage County.

In fact, Folsi thinks there are many, many more cases yet to be uncovered accross the state.

"This is likely the tip of the iceberg. With more diligent digging, I think we would see many more fraudulent voting acts," Folsi told North Cook News.

The prosecutions were the result of efforts by the DuPage County State’s Attorney Office and County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek.

Folsi encouraged other state’s attorneys to root out election fraud and prosecute those involved.

“Prosecute to the fullest extent and publicize it to deter future fraudulent election efforts,” he said.  

“Just because the fraud may not overturn an election, failure to prosecute, even in a small number of cases, only encourages more bad election behavior.”

Folsi said the issue is non-partisan.

“Party affiliation should not enter into it. Elections need to be fair.”

The question of election integrity has come into focus following reports of widespread irregularities across the country in the past presidential election.

Champaign County Recorder of Deeds Mark Shelden, who oversaw elections for 14 years as Champaign County Clerk, said  voting machines currently employed are susceptible to "fraud" and "manipulation."

Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville), a Republican candidate for governor, has called on the state to return to paper ballots in order to better track votes.

"Paper ballots aren’t hooked to a modem, connected to the internet, and susceptible to hackers or electronic fraud," Bailey said in a press release. "They are clear, they are simple, and they are easy for voters to use. I firmly believe that paper ballots are the best and most reliable way to secure our vote counts and to restore public confidence in elections."

“The very foundation of our country is built upon fair and free elections,” DuPage County State's Attoney Bob Berlin said in a press release announcing the arrests. “Elections are a sacred duty and while the five defendants charged today represent an infinitesimal percentage of the 491,067 votes cast in the 2020 general election, it is important that anyone suspected of attempting to interfere in any way in the election process be investigated and charged where appropriate."