PORTLAND, Ore. — A Bend man was convicted of offering to buy unfilled, but signed, ballots for $20 each.
Aaron Hirschman was convicted of a misdemeanor in a non-jury trial last month in Deschutes County Circuit Court. He was fined $200 and sentenced to 40 hours of community service.
The Oregonian reported he is the first person in the state convicted of that form of voter fraud since Oregon adopted mail voting.
The ad offering money was posted on Craigslist the Friday before the November election. Police and county officials were alerted and watched to make sure there was no sign of trafficking in ballots.
Hirschman told investigators for the attorney general’s office he posted the ad just to “cause a stir.”
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Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com
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