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Public witnesses allege petition fraud and whiteout on Initiative 83; Board of Elections says enforcement and challenges are public processes
Summary
Witnesses at a May 13 roundtable alleged forged signatures, removed challenge pages, and widespread use of whiteout on Initiative 83 petitions. BOE said it has assessed fines against circulators linked to whiteout use, described its challenge review process and said criminal referrals and civil penalties are possible under existing law.
Multiple community witnesses told the Committee on Executive Administration and Labor on May 13 they had evidence of petition tampering and process failures during nominating and initiative petition activity in 2024 and 2025.
Commissioner Robbie Woodland testified she submitted four stacks of challenge paperwork on April 29, 2025, alleging dozens of forged signatures on a candidate’s nominating petitions for the Ward 8 special election. Woodland said a Board of Elections staffer, identified in her testimony as Maisha (or Myesha) Thompson, took the documents into a back office rather than completing the usual front‑desk receipt and count. "This breach of protocol broke the secure chain of custody designed to protect the integrity of election challenges," Woodland said. She added: "Miss Maisha Thompson removed 24 pages from our filing. This action effectively crippled our…
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