UNH Student Voted Twice In 2016 Presidential Election: NH AG
CONCORD, NH — A University of New Hampshire student is accused of voting twice in the 2016 presidential election, New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald announced Tuesday. Spencer McKinnon was charged with illegal voting, a felony.
On Election Day, Nov. 8, McKinnon voted in Durham, where he was starting his freshman year UNH, MacDonald said, but he also cast an absentee ballot in his hometown of Dracut, Massachusetts.
McKinnon was the third person charged with voter fraud by New Hampshire authorities in connection with the 2016 general election. Last week, a Hampton couple were charged with casting absentee ballots in Hampton and voting in-person in Belchertown, Massachusetts.
McKinnon was indicted in Strafford County Superior Court in Dover. An indictment means a grand jury determined a trial is warranted based on evidence. McKinnon will be arraigned October 4.
If convicted, McKinnon faces a maximum penalty on 7 years in prison and a $4,000 fine.
“Additionally, anyone convicted of a willful violation of the state’s election laws may lose the right to vote in this state pursuant,” MacDonald said in a statement.
A University of New Hampshire spokesperson told Patch the university is aware of McKinnon’s indictment.
“UNH encourages students to vote and we also provide students with the information they need to be compliant with state voting laws,” spokesperson Mica Stark said in an email.
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McKinnon graduated from Dracut High School. He was 18 years old when he voted in Durham. That is the minimum voting age in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire is part of the Interstate Voter Crosscheck Program, a multi-state database that is used to compare voter information for fraud.
MacDonald said his office is investigating 51 cases involving possible voter fraud related to the 2016 election. The investigation is “active and ongoing,” according to MacDonald.
Hillary Clinton beat President Trump by about 3,000 votes overall to win New Hampshire’ four electoral votes in the 2016 election. Trump claimed he lost New Hampshire because “thousands” of illegal voters were bussed in from Massachusetts, according to Politico.
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