Minnesota election judge charged with two felonies for allegedly allowing 11 unregistered people to vote

PARK RAPIDS, Minn. — A man who served as the chief elections judge in a Minnesota township has been charged with two felonies for allegedly allowing 11 people to vote even though they were not registered.

Officials began an investigation after Hubbard County Auditor Kay Rave could not find completed voter registration forms among ballots and other materials returned by Timothy Michael Scouton, 64, of Nevis, who had been chief elections judge in Badoura Township, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday .

Another election judge told an investigator from the county sheriff’s office that Scouton had instructed them not to use the registration forms, the complaint said, while another said Scouton told them new voters only had to sign the back of a book.

According to the complaint, the investigator then met with Scouton at the sheriff’s office. He was advised of his rights but refused to make a statement and was subsequently arrested, the complaint said. The complaint did not provide a possible motive.

Scouton made his first court appearance on Friday and was released pending his next hearing on January 6. He did not immediately return a call Saturday seeking comment, and his attorney declined to comment on the case.

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon’s office called the allegations “extremely serious” and said they must be thoroughly investigated.

“Election judges take an oath to conduct elections in accordance with the law. Deliberate failure to do so is unlawful and a violation of the public trust,” the agency said in a statement.

The charges carry maximum penalties of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.