United States of America v. Brenda Knuth

Urbana, Illinois, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with voting twice in a federal election.

Reported by: Kent Morlan

Brenda Knuth, age 61, voted more than once in a federal election. Knuth admitted that she voted early in the November 2024 general election and then voted on election day as well. Candidates for federal office were on the ballot in the 2024 general election. After Knuth voted on election day, she posted on Facebook that she “tested the system and it failed.” Knuth later admitted to a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation that she voted twice because she wanted to see if her early vote counted. She admitted that she did not speak with any election official about her prior vote, confirm with anyone whether her early vote counted, or notify the clerk’s office that she voted twice. She acknowledged that she knew that, by voting early, she was not allowed to vote a second time in the same election.

The Defendant was found guilty and was sentenced to three years of probation and was ordered to pay a $2,500 fine for voting twice in a federal election.