FOND DU LAC COUNTY (NBC 26) — A man has been charged with one count of felony election fraud voting as a disqualified person in the 2022 November election in Fond du Lac County.
District Attorney Eric Toney said in a news release Martin Kehl is alleged to have been on felony probation for a 4th OWI offense in Dodge County. Prosecutors say Kehl is alleged to have registered to vote on election day in November 2022, and then voting.
“We will continue to prosecute those that threaten the security of our elections to help ensure the public has confidence in our election results," Toney said in the release. "In Fond du Lac County, we saw a City Council race decided by four votes this past April, and races in other areas of the state have ended in a tie. These violations are rare, in comparison to the total number of votes cast but it's crucial to defend our elections based on razor thing margins we see, especially in local non-partisan races where one or two votes could decide an election."
Kehl is scheduled to be in court for an initial appearance on June 11 at 9 a.m.
If he is convicted, Kehl could spend up to 3.5 years behind bars and be fined up to $10,000.
"Election officials have a felon list, created by the Department of Corrections, at polling locations to compare with absentee ballots and Election Day activities. This list is only for those felons serving a sentence that reside in that clerk’s voting jurisdiction. Wisconsin law also requires the Wisconsin Election Commission to review the felon list and compare it to votes cast in an election. The Commission then refers violations to district attorneys for prosecution. These measures protect the integrity of elections by deterring election fraud and providing accountability for violations."
