Quote:The Kankakee County State’s Attorney’s office says it is investigating possible voting fraud after the clerk’s office reported three complaints from people who said they were offered bribes for votes.

In a news release issued late Tuesday afternoon, Jamie Boyd, the state’s attorney, also said “several” vote-by-mail applications seem to have come from people living outside of Kankakee County.

“This unprecedented action was taken in response to reports of individuals from Chicago offering gifts to potential voters in exchange for a vote for Kate Cloonen, Hillary Clinton and others,” Boyd said in the news release. “Our office takes seriously the obligation to protect the rights of citizens to vote for the candidate of their choice, and to do so without undue influence from special interest groups.

The investigation will also focus on the authenticity of vote by mail requests. Several applications have been filed with the election authority that appear to be fraudulently executed.”

Late last week, Kankakee County Clerk Bruce Clark said potential voters were being brought to the clerk’s office to vote early.

“Whoever it is should not be doing this,” he said. “People should be allowed to come in here and vote without being harassed.”
The incumbent in the state rep’s race, Democrat Kate Cloonen, is in a highly-contested race against local attorney Lindsay Parkhurst, a Republican.

“These reports of voter fraud in Kankakee are incredibly disturbing,” Pankhurst said. “Fair and honest elections are the bedrock of our democracy. It is truly deplorable when people try to corrupt our system in this manner.”