KING COUNTY PROSECUTING OFFICE

 

JUSTICE
COMPASSION

DANIEL T. SATTERBERG
PROSECUTING ATTORNEY PROFESSIONALISM
INTEGRITY
LEADERSHIP

December 29, 2016

 

WA
Re: Voter Registration for 
Dear 

The King County Prosecutor?s Of?ce received a referral from the King County Elections
Department alleging that you knowingly provided false information on an application for voter
registration and then ?led that document with King County. King County Elections investigated
the matter and provided this of?ce with suf?cient factual evidence to support a ?ling of criminal
charges based on what appears to be your attempt to register your dog to vote. However, we are
declining to pursue criminal charges against you at this time.

Under Washington law it is a felony to knowingly provide false information on an application
for voter registration. RCW 29A.84.130. We believe that you committed this crime when you
completed and ?led the voter registration form in your do g?s name. We are declining to ?le
charges against you in part because there is no evidence that you attempted to vote the ballot that
was mailed to your residence as a result of the fraudulent registration.

It is worth noting that to the extent your actions were intended to expose some purported ?aw in
the state registration process, you were unsuccessful. Instead, your actions demonstrated that the
state laws designed to prevent voter fraud work.

The fraudulent registration you ?led was never veri?ed in the state voter registration database
because the information you provided did not match with information in state and federal
databases. The registration was therefore accepted as a provisional registration only. Though a
ballot was mailed to for the November 2016 election, Since the registration was
provisional, the ballot wou not ave been counted until the required veri?cation documentation
was provided as set forth in RCW 29A.08.107 (valid photo identi?cation, valid tribal enrollment
card, current utility bill, current bank statement, current government check, current paycheck, or
government document that shows name and address).

CRIMINAL DIVISION - KING COUNTY COURTHOUSE W554
516 THIRD AVENUE - SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 98104
Tel: (206) 296-9000 - 

Prosecuting Attorney
King County
Page 2

King County Elections has cancelled the fraudulent registration. Though we decline to pursue
criminal charges related to the ?ling of that registration, that Will not foreclose us from pursuing
charges should you engage in additional criminal acts that Violate state election law.

Mark Larson
Chief, Criminal Division

cc: Julie Wise, Elections Director
King County Elections Department