Connecticut state representative Christina "Tita" Ayala out of Bridgeport was arrested and charged last week with 19 counts of voting fraud, further highlighting the need for additional measures to prevent such occurrences.
The 31-year-old representative was accused of voting in local and state elections in districts she didn't live, reported the New Haven Register. Ayala was also accused of providing fabricated addresses to state Election Enforcement Commission investigators.
"The Elections Enforcement Commission referred the case to the Office of the Chief State's Attorney in October 2013, recommending criminal charges," said the New Haven Register, but despite the pending voting fraud investigation, Ayala ran for office in the 128th House District again in August 2014, losing to Christopher Rosario.
Between 2009 and 2012, not only did Ayala allegedly vote in multiple Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee elections, but also a municipal primary election, a state primary election, and a 2012 Bridgeport general election in districts where she did not live.
Charged with eight counts of fraudulent voting, 10 counts of primary or enrollment violations and one count of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, Ayala could end up serving over a decade in prison. Fraudulent voting is considered a felony punishable by not less than one year or more than two years in prison and a fine of $300 to $500 per count, the Chief State's Attorney's Office said in a press release.
As for the primary or enrollment charges and tampering with or fabricating evidence violations, Ayala faces up to a maximum prison sentence of 5 years for each count.
Ayala is currently out on arraignment with a promise to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on Oct. 7, 2014.
Ayala's mother, Santa, who is the Democratic register of voters in Bridgeport, was also investigated by the Elections Enforcement Commission, which recommended filing criminal charges. None have been filed as of Friday Sept. 6, said the New Haven Register.
While many often speak of enacting stricter voter ID requirements, a new and more promising method of voting may come out of the Bitcoin camp. It's called block chain voting, and it completely removes the possibility for human or machine "error" from the voting equation. A block chain is a publicly available and cryptographically secure transaction ledger in which all votes would be pseudonymously recorded and available for all to count and validate correct application. While far from operational, a few block chain voting systems are currently in later stages of development.
