Two allegations of potential election code violations in Berks County have been turned over to local authorities for investigation.
At a meeting of the board of elections Thursday, First Assistant County Solicitor Cody Kauffman presented the two incidents.
The first incident involved three individuals who, on separate occasions, returned more than one mail ballot at drop boxes.
Kauffman said that over the course of the three drop boxes being open to voters who wished to submit their mail ballots, three people deposited a ballot belonging to someone else without the official form granting them that right.
He said all of the incidents were captured on surveillance footage.
Kauffman said these actions are in direct violation of the election code and recommended the matters be turned over to the district attorney’s office for further investigation.
The board agreed, voting unanimously to forward the issue to law enforcement.
The second incident involved a complaint from an individual who works at an assisted living facility alleging that residents there were influenced into casting a mail ballot by someone else. Additionally, the complainant claimed one of those voters did not recall requesting a mail ballot.
“These are concerning allegations,” Kauffman said. “If these allegations are valid they would be contrary to the election code.”
The board voted unanimously to forward the issue to the district attorney’s office.
The two referrals to the district attorney’s office bring the total number of potential election law violations the county has handed over for investigation this election season to eight.
On Oct. 31, the board referred to the district attorney’s office one incident concerning the bulk delivery of voter registration applications and the other involving the filming of voters.
On Oct. 24, alleged incidents of voter intimidation and collecting ballots belonging to other voters were turned over to the district attorney’s office.
And on Oct. 17, the board referred two incidents of people submitting ballots to the county elections office on behalf of others.