Election Concerns | Video

Jessica Roose | 6/25/2012

The votes are certified, but one man claims he has concerns of possible ballot tampering, specifically about mail in and absentee ballots. The Foster County State`s Attorney says he believes there are too many ways a vote can be changed on mail in ballots and he adds that something needs to be done to address the issue.

Each year more and more voters are starting to mail in their ballots. Regardless of how you vote, you trust that your ballot will be counted the way that you voted. But Foster County State`s Attorney Paul Murphy says he`s concerned that election fraud could take place on those mail in ballots.

"Whoever is picking up that mail has the opportunity to pick up an envelope such as this or this with an executed ballot in it."

Murphy says the envelopes are easily steamed open and if someone had access to new ballots or envelopes the votes could be changed.

"There needs to be extra safeguards in place if I`m the one who`s able to handle ballots and I`m running for a position, or my friend is running for a position."

Secretary of State Al Jaeger says the county auditors are the ones in charge of handling the mail in ballots and he says it is highly unlikely that this could happen.

"If there`s any indication that anyone even suspects anything like that it would be the duty of a state`s attorney to initiate an investigation to see if in fact that happened."

He say`s he has addressed this issue with Murphy in the past and does not believe a county auditor should be taken out of the election process.

"We have 53 county auditors, they all do the same job. It`s very specific in the state law. We`ve responded to this particular concern for several years already and it`s very clear as to who is responsible."

Murphy says there needs to be tighter restrictions on the auditor as well as more awareness to how many ballots go out and come back in.

Jaeger says there are already tight restrictions and when a ballot comes in at least five people are involved in the process to open it and make sure it gets into the secure locked box where it is counted.

Murphy is not saying he believes this happened in the latest election, but he says he is still concerned with the process and hopes changes will be made.

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