WI Man Sentenced For Voting Illegally In McHenry County

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — A former McHenry man man has been sentenced for illegally voting for an Illinois candidate while living in Wisconsin.

McHenry County Judge James Cowlin has ordered Robert J. Sandy, 52, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, to serve two days in the McHenry County Jail and to complete 20 hours of community service for disregarding election code, which is a Class A misdemeanor, according to a news release from the McHenry County State's Attorney's Office. He has also been ordered to serve six months of conditional discharge and to pay fees and fines.

Authorities say Sandy drove from his home in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to McHenry County to vote in the November 2020 election. He then publicly shared on Twitter that he had traveled 45 miles from his new home to his old one so that he could cast a vote for an Illinois candidate he supported, according to a news release from the state's attorney's office.

Mike Buehler, McHenry County Board chairman, said the case and the conviction address the importance of maintaining confidence in the electoral system.

"There are fewer things more important to the health of a democracy than the public having faith that our elections are fair and honest; to this end, it is important that people who are caught violating our election laws are held accountable," Buehler said.

He added that the conviction serves "as a reminder that breaking the law to cheat one’s preferred candidate into office is not tolerated in McHenry County and will be punished."