Man pleads guilty in local voter fraud case

The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Office released information on two separate voter fraud cases Tuesday.

In one incident, a man pleaded guilty to knowingly casting ballots both in Colorado and Washington during the 2016 General Election.

That man, 54-year-old Nathan Parks, was living in Clallam County, Washington where he was registered to vote while also keeping his voter registration in Colorado from August 2013.

During the election, he cast an absentee ballot in Colorado while also voting in Washington.

His guilty plea on May 15 resulted in a misdemeanor where he will be required to complete 30 hours of community service, pay court and restitution fees and serve a 12-month deferred sentence.

“Every vote is a voice and our office works hard to make sure that your vote is your voice. Voting twice in an election is illegal. Double voting decreases the public’s confidence that our election systems are fair” said Chuck Broerman, El Paso County Clerk & Recorder in a release. “In Colorado, we make it easy to register and vote, but hard to cheat. As a result, voter fraud is rare in El Paso County. But as this case proves, when it does occur, the District Attorney’s Office, under Dan May, investigates and prosecutes.”

Bonnie Schrader also had a court appearance May 16 facing charges for voting twice and forging a ballot signature in El Paso County. The forgery charge is a class 5 felony.