An investigation by the Illinois Attorney General into voter fraud suspected in Madison County on June 28 - primary election day - remains under seal.
The case was opened Aug. 18 and stems from approximately 39 suspicious write-in ballots discovered from Venice and other addresses within the boundaries of judicial Subcircuit 1, an area that mostly runs along the western border of the county.
There were two declared write-in candidates seeking their Democratic Party's nomination during the June 28 primary and in the controversial subcircuit - attorneys Barry Julian and Ebony Huddleston - running for circuit court vacancies.
After noticing the same handwriting for write-in candidates while processing primary mail-in ballots, Republican and Democrat election judges raised concerns with County Clerk Debbie Ming-Mendoza, who then notified law enforcement.
The case was referred to AG Kwame Raoul's offfice after Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine petitioned the court to appoint a special prosecutor due to a conflict of interest. Haine also petitioned to seal the case.
The AG's office has not announced any progress in its investigation, prompting a group of Republican officials last week to press for results before the Nov. 8 general election.
Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy was joined by Madison County Treasurer Chris Slusser, Auditor David Michael, Board member Stacey Pace, Rep. Amy Elik of District 111 and District 112 candidate Jennifer Korte at a press conference on Oct. 17.
“In a free society, honest elections are critical to both good governance and voter confidence in close elections, which is why Kwame Raoul, the current Illinois Attorney General, should expedite this investigation of suspected vote fraud before the conclusion of the November 8 election,” Tracy said. “No one should want such an investigation hovering over an important election. The good people of Madison County and the health of our democracy deserve no less.”
Ming-Mendoza has said that the suspicious ballots were not counted; they were impounded, she said.
Both Julian and Huddleston received enough votes in the primary to earn nomination.
When asked a second time on Oct. 25 if he would unseal the case, Madison County Chief Judge Bill Mudge said that he had previously been informed that the investigation was ongoing and unsealing it would not be appropriate.
But, Mudge said he would inquire whether the investigating authority, the AG's office, objected to unsealing the case. He said he was awaiting a response.
At last week's press conference, Tracy said that "we Republicans have been very critical of these brand new gerrymandered judicial subcircuits and they are the subject of a pending lawsuit.
"Both Huddleston and Julian ran in that Democrat primary as write-in candidates because they were not on the ballot due to their nominating petitions being legally deficient.”