A Chehalis man is facing a felony charge in Lewis County Superior Court for allegedly voting twice, once in both Oregon and once in Washington, during the 2022 general election.
The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a cross state organization that compares voter rolls and voting history, uncovered the error and notified both the Washington Secretary of State's Office and the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office, according to the Lewis County Auditor’s Office. The Washington Secretary of State’s office subsequently notified the Lewis County Auditor’s office, which researched the issue and forwarded information to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office. The prosecutor’s office then notified the Chehalis Police Department, according to the auditor’s office.
The defendant, identified as James Anthoney Padrta, 62, is accused of mailing in a Washington ballot on Oct. 27, 2022, and of mailing in an Oregon ballot on Nov. 3, 2022.
When questioned by a detective, Padrta allegedly “informed (the detective) he did vote in both states because he was a ‘dual resident’ of both and received ballots from both states,” according to court documents.
The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office filed one count of repeater voting, a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison, against Padrta on Dec. 1, 2023. He was present for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 20, where a judge ruled to allow him to remain out of custody for the duration of the case on his own personal recognizance.
He entered a not guilty plea on Dec. 21. Trial is scheduled to begin on March 18.
