LANCASTER, Pa. — A Lancaster woman has been charged with two forgery offenses after authorities say she committed voter fraud during the 2022 Democratic Primary.
Cheryl Mihaliak, 60, is accused of casting a vote for her deceased mother in the primary via mail-in ballot, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office.
District Attorney Heather Adams said Mihaliak requested mail-in ballots for herself and her mother on March 17.
Mihaliak's mother died on April 14 and was removed from the voter rolls on April 25, according to the DA.
The discrepancy was noticed by Chief Clerk/Registrar of the Lancaster County Board of Elections and Registration Commission Christa Miller, who relayed the information to detectives on April 28, 2022.
Mihaliak allegedly told investigators that she voted on her mother's behalf and signed the ballot in her mother's name, claiming that she knew who her mother was going to vote for and decided to cast the vote posthumously.
She is charged with misdemeanor counts of forgery and forgery of a ballot, Adams said. The charges are punishable by a maximum of five years and two years in prison, respectively, in addition to fines totaling $15,000, according to Adams.
“This office will strictly enforce our election laws when presented with evidence of fraud,” Adams said. “Strict enforcement is intended to deter future conduct and necessary to protect the integrity of our elections, which are an integral part of a functioning democracy.”
If convicted of the charges against her, Mihaliak will not be able to vote for a term of four years from the date of the conviction, Adams said.
