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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2002

South Dakota attorney general Mark Barnett on Wednesday said there is no evidence of illegal absentee ballots among Indian voters in the state.

Barnett said the 15 ballots under review had forged signatures. But otherwise he said they were cast properly.

Becky Red Earth-Villeda admitted yesterday she signed the ballots. She faces charges next week that could include forgery and theft by deception.

The alleged fraud has drawn widespread attention by the media and the Republican party because of the tight Senate race. A Sioux Falls Argus Leader / KSFY-TV poll shows incumbent Sen. Tim Johnson (D) and Congressman John Thune (R) virtually even.

The Washington Times reports that federal monitors will be present at the polls in South Dakota. The paper does not include the latest information on the fraud investigation, and continues to cite Red Earth-Villeda as responsible for more than 1,700 suspected ballots.

Get the Story:
Barnett: No illegal ballots found (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 10/31)
Native Americans test voting power in S.D. (The Baltimore Sun 10/31)
Justice cracks down on voter fraud (The Washington Times 10/31)
Johnson, Thune virtually even in Senate race (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 10/31)

Related Stories:
S.D. election night proposal questioned (10/30)
S.D. woman fights voter fraud charges (10/29)
S.D. voter fraud tied to one person (10/25)
Charges fly in S.D. Indian voter dispute (10/24)
Opinion: Don't let illiterate Indians vote (10/23)
All eyes on South Dakota for votes (10/22)
Charges of Indian voter fraud denied (10/18)
Editorial: Investigate voter fraud (10/18)
S.D. voter fraud probe continues (10/17)
'More and more' cases of voter fraud (10/16)
Thune: S.D. vote challenge not my idea (10/16)
Problems cited with Indian voter drive (10/15)
Native voters said key in S.D. races (09/02)
Sioux tribal members file voting rights suit (08/06)