On Thursday, WNEP News reported that a Republican voter in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania has been arrested for voter fraud.
"County detectives say a man from Forty Fort filled out an application for an absentee ballot for his mother, who is dead," reported Carolyne Blackburn. "According to court paperwork, 67-year-old Robert Lynn used a typewriter to fill out that absentee ballot application in the name of his deceased mother. Court records show she passed away five years ago. Luzerne County officials said this is the first voter fraud arrest here in 30 years."
"Court paperwork shows as detectives questioned Lynn about the absentee ballot application, he tried to pin the blame on a relative. He later allegedly admitted to filling it out," said the report. "Lynn was arraigned on charges of forgery and interference of an election. He was released on $10,000 unsecured bail. If he's found guilty, county officials said he could face up to 10 years in prison."
President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked efforts to expand mail-in voting, which has been made easier in several states around the country in response to the coronavirus pandemic. He has claimed that the practice is "corrupt" and will lead to widespread ballot forgery and theft.
Although absentee ballot fraud is more common than in-person voter fraud, experts overwhelmingly agree that it is still vanishingly rare and difficult to do at scale, and state and county officials generally have safeguards in place to spot it when it does occur.
Watch the report here: