Lake County Alderperson Charged After Dead Voter Ballot Returned

LAKE COUNTY, IL — A Waukegan alderperson is facing felony and misdemeanor charges after authorities alleged she submitted a vote-by-mail ballot on behalf of her deceased mother during the 2026 General Primary Election.

Sylvia Sims Bolton, 67, who serves as alderperson for Waukegan’s 1st Ward, was charged with one count of mutilation of election material, a Class 4 felony, and one count of disregarding election code, a Class A misdemeanor, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Lake County Clerk’s Office.

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Patch has reached out to Bolton for this story. She has served as alderperson for Waukegan’s 1st Ward since 2017, according to public records and the city’s website.

Authorities said the investigation began after the Lake County Clerk’s Office identified and flagged a vote-by-mail ballot tied to a deceased voter during a post-election review process.

A vote-by-mail ballot for Mary Sims was mailed Feb. 5, the first day ballots could legally be sent for the General Primary Election. Election officials later canceled the voter registration Feb. 12 after receiving notification of the voter’s death through the Illinois State Board of Elections system.

The completed ballot envelope was then returned Feb. 26 through a secure exterior drop box outside the Lake County Clerk’s Office, according to authorities. The ballot was flagged during intake and later reviewed by election staff following the March 17 primary election.

Investigators allege Bolton received the ballot after her mother had died, filled out the ballot and signed her mother’s name before submitting it through an official ballot drop box.

The case was later referred to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for investigation. Charges were approved by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office on May 19.

Bolton surrendered Wednesday morning and was scheduled to appear in court later in the day.

Officials said the investigation did not uncover any evidence linking the allegations to Bolton’s duties as an elected official, and she was not charged with official misconduct.

“The safeguards and verification procedures in place within our election system worked exactly as intended,” Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega said in a statement.